maeharasmuse
Oct 15, 09, 2:33 am
Hmmm, I don't know what happened to my earlier post on this topic, but things are finally moving on the Tokyo airport front.
Not a minute too soon!!
(all fair use):
Narita airport undiminished by Haneda hub: minister
AFP - Thursday, October 15
TOKYO (AFP) - – Japan's transport minister said Wednesday his plan to upgrade Tokyo's portside Haneda airport into a 24-hour international hub will in no way diminish the role of the outlying Narita airport.
Seiji Maehara, the minister of land, infrastrucure, transport and tourism, also said the plan was aimed at replacing South Korea's Incheon airport as a hub for international flights using Japan's local airports.
Under a government policy, Haneda handles domestic flights, except for those to and from the East Asian cities of Shanghai, Seoul and Hong Kong, at present while Narita serves international and connecting domestic trips.
The prefecture of Chiba, which includes the city of Narita, has been angered by the Haneda plan after it was made public on Monday and Tuesday by Maehara.
The minister said he had told Chiba governor Kensaku Morita in a meeting Wednesday that both Haneda and Narita should be "incorporated in handling domestic and international flights."
"Even if Haneda and Narita are combined, it cannot meet demand in future," Maehara told reporters. "If we don't divide flights between Haneda and Narita, we won't be able to cope."
A fourth runway is due to be completed at Haneda in October next year. Haneda currently opens at 6:00 am and closes just before midnight for regular commercial flights.
Narita, which opened in 1978, has two runways, 4,000 and 2,500 metres long, and cannot operate at midnight and early morning hours due to noise problems. Incheon has a 4,000-metre runway and two 3,750-metre runways and is capable of operating around the clock.
Narita also charges high landing fees -- 592,700 yen (6,600 dollars) for a Boeing 777, nearly three times as high as the fee at Incheon.
"Japan has not had a hub (airport) so far and Incheon has become a hub for Japan," the transport minister said. "We want to bring the role back to Haneda and the (Tokyo) metropolitan area and help revitalise Japan's aviation industry."
"I am relieved to hear (Maehara's) intentions," Morita, the prefectural governor, told reporters. "I think I can sleep well tonight.
"We reached an agreement that we will work hard together for national interests," Morita said.
http://malaysia.news.yahoo.com/afp/20091015/tbs-japan-airline-airport-e5c2383.html
Maehara eyes turning Haneda into 24-hour hub airport for international flights
Kyodo News - Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2009
Transport minister Seiji Maehara indicated Monday his wish to turn Tokyo's Haneda airport into a hub for international flights, an idea that, if realized, would represent a major shift in the government's longstanding policy of routing most Tokyo-bound international flights to Narita airport.
Change of flight pattern: Transport minister Seiji Maehara and Osaka Gov. Toru Hashimoto discuss the need for a international hub airport in Japan Monday. Afterward, Maehara told reporters that he is considering a gradual shift toward transforming Haneda Airport into a 24-hour facility and opening access to flights for overseas. KYODO PHOTO
Maehara disclosed the proposal in remarks to reporters after meeting Osaka Gov. Toru Hashimoto, who asked the central government to step up investment to turn Kansai International Airport, serving Osaka, into a hub airport. Maehara fell short of meeting Hashimoto's demand for Kansai airport.
"There is no hub airport in Japan currently," Maehara said. "With Narita serving international (flights) and Haneda domestic, South Korea's Incheon airport has become the hub airport for Japan."
Maehara noted the need for addressing the current situation of the aviation market surrounding Japan where Incheon International Airport in a Seoul suburb is increasingly used by Japanese travelers flying from provincial airports in Japan.
As one step to counter this trend, Maehara indicated eliminating the policy of routing most international flights bound for Tokyo to Narita International Airport in Chiba Prefecture and most domestic flights to Haneda airport, officially known as Tokyo International Airport, in the capital.
"By removing the principle of keeping apart domestic and international (services between the airports), we would like to gradually aim at turning Haneda into an international airport that can operate on a 24-hour (basis)."
On Kansai airport, Maehara said, "After building a solid hub in Japan, we would like to consider what to do about the three airports of Kansai, Itami and Kobe that serve the Kansai (region centering Osaka)."
After hearing what Maehara had to say about Kaisai, Hashimoto, who has been advocating making Kansai one of the two major hub airports in Japan, indicated that the Osaka prefectural government would freeze from next fiscal year around 800 million yen in annual appropriations used to finance measures related to Kansai airport.
"If the policy is that Kansai is a spoke (linked to a hub), there is no need for disbursing prefectural funds," Hashimoto told reporters.
Haneda airport is scheduled to have its fourth runway open in October next year, which is expected to sharply boost its capacity to serve flights.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/print/nn20091013a2.html
Maehara backtracks on Haneda, Narita roles
Thursday 15th October, 05:44 AM JST
TOKYO —
Transport minister Seiji Maehara said Wednesday that Narita International Airport in Chiba Prefecture and Haneda airport in Tokyo will maintain their roles in handling international and domestic flights, respectively, after his plan to turn Haneda into a hub for international flights caused a stir among local authorities.
‘‘Narita will play a central role (in serving international flights), and there is no change to that,’’ Maehara told reporters after meeting with Chiba Gov Kensaku Morita who had criticized the plan. But he also expressed his intention to make Haneda a 24-hour hub for international flights to meet an expected rise in air traffic during the meeting and gained understanding from Morita.
‘‘We have drawn a clear distinction between Narita serving international flights and Haneda handling domestic flights. But we won’t be able to accept (passengers) unless domestic and international flights are allocated (to both Narita and Haneda),’’ Maehara said, indicating that in the future both airports will handle international flights ‘‘in an integrated manner.’’
After the meeting, Morita said he confirmed with the transport minister the basic principle that Haneda serves domestic flights and Narita is for international flights, adding they will promote dialogue to avoid misunderstanding from now on.
The meeting came after Maehara unveiled on Monday his idea of turning Haneda into a 24-hour international hub, which sparked concern among local governments, especially in Chiba Prefecture, as it would represent a shift in the government’s longstanding policy of routing Tokyo-bound international flights to Narita.
Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama told reporters Wednesday he expects Narita, Haneda and Kansai International Airport in Osaka to build mutually beneficial relations where each offers its own advantages to passengers.
‘‘We share the same recognition that Japan lags behind other Asian nations and we are moving toward working together to catch up,’’ Hatoyama said.
The construction of a fourth runway at Haneda, officially known as Tokyo International Airport, is currently under way for its planned opening next October, which is expected to boost its capacity to offer 407,000 departure and arrival slots a year.
Maehara has expressed hope that half of the approximately 110,000 flight slots to be added upon completion of the fourth runway will be allocated for international flights.
Tokyo Gov Shintaro Ishihara, meanwhile, welcomed Maehara’s plan as it matches Tokyo’s efforts to boost the airport’s appeal as an international airport.
‘‘When we think about maintaining national strength, there is no way other than to make better use of Haneda to bring back passengers (who fly overseas) via Incheon airport (in South Korea),’’ Ishihara said.
‘‘But that does not mean we should cast out Narita. We should also use Narita in a more efficient way,’’ he added.
© 2009 Kyodo News. All rights reserved. No reproduction or republication without written permission.
http://www.japantoday.com/category/politics/view/no-change-in-roles-of-haneda-narita-airports-maehara
.
Not a minute too soon!!
(all fair use):
Narita airport undiminished by Haneda hub: minister
AFP - Thursday, October 15
TOKYO (AFP) - – Japan's transport minister said Wednesday his plan to upgrade Tokyo's portside Haneda airport into a 24-hour international hub will in no way diminish the role of the outlying Narita airport.
Seiji Maehara, the minister of land, infrastrucure, transport and tourism, also said the plan was aimed at replacing South Korea's Incheon airport as a hub for international flights using Japan's local airports.
Under a government policy, Haneda handles domestic flights, except for those to and from the East Asian cities of Shanghai, Seoul and Hong Kong, at present while Narita serves international and connecting domestic trips.
The prefecture of Chiba, which includes the city of Narita, has been angered by the Haneda plan after it was made public on Monday and Tuesday by Maehara.
The minister said he had told Chiba governor Kensaku Morita in a meeting Wednesday that both Haneda and Narita should be "incorporated in handling domestic and international flights."
"Even if Haneda and Narita are combined, it cannot meet demand in future," Maehara told reporters. "If we don't divide flights between Haneda and Narita, we won't be able to cope."
A fourth runway is due to be completed at Haneda in October next year. Haneda currently opens at 6:00 am and closes just before midnight for regular commercial flights.
Narita, which opened in 1978, has two runways, 4,000 and 2,500 metres long, and cannot operate at midnight and early morning hours due to noise problems. Incheon has a 4,000-metre runway and two 3,750-metre runways and is capable of operating around the clock.
Narita also charges high landing fees -- 592,700 yen (6,600 dollars) for a Boeing 777, nearly three times as high as the fee at Incheon.
"Japan has not had a hub (airport) so far and Incheon has become a hub for Japan," the transport minister said. "We want to bring the role back to Haneda and the (Tokyo) metropolitan area and help revitalise Japan's aviation industry."
"I am relieved to hear (Maehara's) intentions," Morita, the prefectural governor, told reporters. "I think I can sleep well tonight.
"We reached an agreement that we will work hard together for national interests," Morita said.
http://malaysia.news.yahoo.com/afp/20091015/tbs-japan-airline-airport-e5c2383.html
Maehara eyes turning Haneda into 24-hour hub airport for international flights
Kyodo News - Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2009
Transport minister Seiji Maehara indicated Monday his wish to turn Tokyo's Haneda airport into a hub for international flights, an idea that, if realized, would represent a major shift in the government's longstanding policy of routing most Tokyo-bound international flights to Narita airport.
Change of flight pattern: Transport minister Seiji Maehara and Osaka Gov. Toru Hashimoto discuss the need for a international hub airport in Japan Monday. Afterward, Maehara told reporters that he is considering a gradual shift toward transforming Haneda Airport into a 24-hour facility and opening access to flights for overseas. KYODO PHOTO
Maehara disclosed the proposal in remarks to reporters after meeting Osaka Gov. Toru Hashimoto, who asked the central government to step up investment to turn Kansai International Airport, serving Osaka, into a hub airport. Maehara fell short of meeting Hashimoto's demand for Kansai airport.
"There is no hub airport in Japan currently," Maehara said. "With Narita serving international (flights) and Haneda domestic, South Korea's Incheon airport has become the hub airport for Japan."
Maehara noted the need for addressing the current situation of the aviation market surrounding Japan where Incheon International Airport in a Seoul suburb is increasingly used by Japanese travelers flying from provincial airports in Japan.
As one step to counter this trend, Maehara indicated eliminating the policy of routing most international flights bound for Tokyo to Narita International Airport in Chiba Prefecture and most domestic flights to Haneda airport, officially known as Tokyo International Airport, in the capital.
"By removing the principle of keeping apart domestic and international (services between the airports), we would like to gradually aim at turning Haneda into an international airport that can operate on a 24-hour (basis)."
On Kansai airport, Maehara said, "After building a solid hub in Japan, we would like to consider what to do about the three airports of Kansai, Itami and Kobe that serve the Kansai (region centering Osaka)."
After hearing what Maehara had to say about Kaisai, Hashimoto, who has been advocating making Kansai one of the two major hub airports in Japan, indicated that the Osaka prefectural government would freeze from next fiscal year around 800 million yen in annual appropriations used to finance measures related to Kansai airport.
"If the policy is that Kansai is a spoke (linked to a hub), there is no need for disbursing prefectural funds," Hashimoto told reporters.
Haneda airport is scheduled to have its fourth runway open in October next year, which is expected to sharply boost its capacity to serve flights.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/print/nn20091013a2.html
Maehara backtracks on Haneda, Narita roles
Thursday 15th October, 05:44 AM JST
TOKYO —
Transport minister Seiji Maehara said Wednesday that Narita International Airport in Chiba Prefecture and Haneda airport in Tokyo will maintain their roles in handling international and domestic flights, respectively, after his plan to turn Haneda into a hub for international flights caused a stir among local authorities.
‘‘Narita will play a central role (in serving international flights), and there is no change to that,’’ Maehara told reporters after meeting with Chiba Gov Kensaku Morita who had criticized the plan. But he also expressed his intention to make Haneda a 24-hour hub for international flights to meet an expected rise in air traffic during the meeting and gained understanding from Morita.
‘‘We have drawn a clear distinction between Narita serving international flights and Haneda handling domestic flights. But we won’t be able to accept (passengers) unless domestic and international flights are allocated (to both Narita and Haneda),’’ Maehara said, indicating that in the future both airports will handle international flights ‘‘in an integrated manner.’’
After the meeting, Morita said he confirmed with the transport minister the basic principle that Haneda serves domestic flights and Narita is for international flights, adding they will promote dialogue to avoid misunderstanding from now on.
The meeting came after Maehara unveiled on Monday his idea of turning Haneda into a 24-hour international hub, which sparked concern among local governments, especially in Chiba Prefecture, as it would represent a shift in the government’s longstanding policy of routing Tokyo-bound international flights to Narita.
Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama told reporters Wednesday he expects Narita, Haneda and Kansai International Airport in Osaka to build mutually beneficial relations where each offers its own advantages to passengers.
‘‘We share the same recognition that Japan lags behind other Asian nations and we are moving toward working together to catch up,’’ Hatoyama said.
The construction of a fourth runway at Haneda, officially known as Tokyo International Airport, is currently under way for its planned opening next October, which is expected to boost its capacity to offer 407,000 departure and arrival slots a year.
Maehara has expressed hope that half of the approximately 110,000 flight slots to be added upon completion of the fourth runway will be allocated for international flights.
Tokyo Gov Shintaro Ishihara, meanwhile, welcomed Maehara’s plan as it matches Tokyo’s efforts to boost the airport’s appeal as an international airport.
‘‘When we think about maintaining national strength, there is no way other than to make better use of Haneda to bring back passengers (who fly overseas) via Incheon airport (in South Korea),’’ Ishihara said.
‘‘But that does not mean we should cast out Narita. We should also use Narita in a more efficient way,’’ he added.
© 2009 Kyodo News. All rights reserved. No reproduction or republication without written permission.
http://www.japantoday.com/category/politics/view/no-change-in-roles-of-haneda-narita-airports-maehara
.