Transport minister Chikage Ogi and Tokyo Gov. Shintaro Ishihara agreed Wednesday on a draft proposal to build another runway for Tokyo's Haneda airport, ministry officials said.
Ishihara agreed to give up on his own proposal to build a new runway off the current C Runway, saying the ministry's proposal to build it south of the airport will allow it to handle more flights, according to officials with the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Ministry.
The ministry meanwhile revised its own plan by moving the proposed location of the runway 300 meters southward, in a bid to allay the shipping industry's concerns that the new facility would hinder smooth traffic flow on the vital maritime route to Tokyo Bay.
The new location, however, is closer to the mouth of Tama River, another crowded spot for ships. The ministry plans to hold talks to gain the shipping industry's understanding, the officials said.