Air Transport

Japan is considering turning Tokyo's Haneda Airport into a 24-hour international air hub.

"Our idea is to use Haneda for international business routes in East Asia between 0600 and 2300 hours, and for long haul international services between the US and Europe between 2300 and 0600 hours," says a spokesman at Japan's Land, Infrastructure & Transport Ministry.

He was responding to Japanese media reports in which transport minister Seiji Maehara said Haneda could become a 24-hour international air hub.

"There is no hub airport in Japan currently," Maehara is reported as saying. "With Narita serving international flight and Haneda domestic, South Korea's Incheon airport has become the hub airport for Japan."

Although international flights operate from Haneda on a charter basis, Haneda will not officially be an international airport until October 2010, when a fourth runway will be opened.

At present, Haneda and Narita are only operational between 0600 and 2300 hours.