Friday, March 19, 2010

Washington officially agreed Thursday with Tokyo to hand over to Japan on March 31 air traffic control rights around Okinawa Island that have effectively been under U.S. forces' control since 1945, the Foreign Ministry said Thursday.

Okinawa was returned to Japanese rule in 1972.

The two countries initially agreed in 2004 to finish the transfer of the Kadena radar approach control, known as Kadena RAPCON, within three years. But they rearranged in 2008 to set the handover for this month.

Air traffic over Okinawa has been controlled by Kadena RAPCON at the U.S. Kadena Air Base in Okinawa. The system covers airspace up to an altitude of about 6 km within a radius of about 90 km of the base, as well as airspace over Kume Island, a small island lying west of Okinawa Island.

Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada welcomed the agreement in a statement issued the same day and stressed the importance of finding solutions to bilateral issues through cooperation.

The system has controlled not only U.S. military but civilian flights using the Naha and Kume Island airports.

The accord came as the two countries are struggling to resolve the issue of where to relocate U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in Okinawa, with Japan rethinking a bilateral pact reached in 2006.

The Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry will be in charge of air traffic control after the transfer, according to the ministry's press release.

Air traffic control of the Kadena base and Futenma air station will meanwhile continue to be U.S.-managed.

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