Transport minister Seiji Maehara said Tuesday he thinks the operations of Haneda airport in Tokyo and Narita International Airport will continue to complement each other even if Haneda is turned into a hub for international flights.
Maehara's remark was apparently aimed at soothing the anger among people and municipalities in Chiba Prefecture that have a stake in Narita airport, after he floated a plan Monday to turn Haneda into a hub for international flights.
The proposal marks a major shift in the long-standing policy of routing most Tokyo-bound international flights to Narita.