The International Air Transport Association said Monday it has sent a letter to the Japanese government asking that landing charges at Narita airport be lowered.
IATA, which groups more than 275 airlines worldwide, said the letter dated Jan. 16 was sent by its director general, Giovanni Bisignani, and addressed to Chikage Ogi, minister of land, infrastructure and transport.
Bisignani welcomed Japan's decision to privatize Narita airport, the nation's main international gateway, but expressed concern over the landing charges.
"Privatization should benefit not only the operators of Narita and the government, but also the airlines, passengers and shippers," the association quoted Bisignani as saying in the letter.
Landing charges at Narita are the highest in the world, at 2,400 yen per ton, the association pointed out. It said it wants the New Tokyo International Airport Authority to reduce the charges to 1,850 yen per ton to reflect the actual costs of providing the service.