Japan's airport privatisation – MLIT seeks out foreign investors as the list of airports grows

Japan is a country where the notion of privatising airports has not advanced as far as it has in some economically comparable countries. But during the last two years since the completion of a tricky concession on the Kansai airports there has been a spurt of activity, with another two transactions completed and a further 14 under way.

That Kansai transaction fell partly to a Japanese company and partly to a French one but since then most of the interest has come from Japanese corporations and financiers. In order to maximise the potential of what will ultimately be the privatisation of almost 100 airports - the largest number in any country, anywhere - by bringing in foreign expertise, the job of the Transport and Infrastructure Ministry now is to convince foreign investors of an "exciting opportunity".