The transport ministry plans to ask local governments to shoulder more of the costs of building and expanding airports, according to an interim policy report presented to an advisory panel Friday.
The report on airport policies beginning with fiscal 2003 indicates the ministry wants to ask the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and other local concerns to share the costs of building a fourth runway at Tokyo's Haneda airport.
It is the first time that the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Ministry has clearly stated such a policy, which will probably face stiff opposition from host local governments.
The ministry is also considering increasing the amount local governments spend in the construction of facilities such as parking lots and lighting systems at airports.
The report also reveals the ministry's policy on the proposed privatization of Narita and Kansai international airports and another international gateway scheduled to open near Nagoya in 2005.
It promotes separating airport operations into two categories: managing and operating terminal buildings and related facilities, and building and maintaining runways.
The operations in the first category would be run by private entities at the airports, while the operations in the latter category would be handled by a public entity, it says.
"This is the realistic and appropriate way to achieve privatization (of the airports) at an early date," the report says.
To secure funds for airport repairs, the ministry hopes to receive a larger allocation from the general account expenditures of the government budget. Other methods suggested for securing repair funds include raising airlines' landing charges and selling unused plots of land at Haneda, Nagoya and Kitakyushu airports, according to the ministry.