Tokyo Haneda Airport recommended as a 24-hour hub

Japan's Transport Ministry key strategic panel will recommend that Tokyo Haneda Airport be turned into a 24-hour hub for business purposes by allocating 90,000 slots a year to international flights in a submission to MLIT Minister, Seiji Maehara, in late May-2010 (Japan Today, 13-Apr-2010). It is recommended terminals, which mainly handles domestic flights at present, should be expanded for international flights. It will also propose that Kansai International Airport, attract cargo flights and foreign low-cost carriers to improve its performance as a core airport of the Kansai region. Capacity at Tokyo airports will expand as it aims to more than double the number of annual overseas visitors to 15 million over the next four years. Japan will also encourage "open skies" agreements with Asian countries and build low-cost carrier terminals at key airports to boost tourism.