U.S. lifts Osprey flight ban, eyeing aircraft's return to Japan's skies

Tokyo and Washington will closely coordinate a timeline for resuming flights of V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft in Japan, the U.S. military and Japanese Defense Ministry said Friday, more than three months after a deadly crash of the controversial aircraft off Kagoshima Prefecture.

The U.S. Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) issued the global flight clearance for the V-22 Osprey, saying in a statement that the decision “follows a meticulous and data-driven approach prioritizing the safety of our aircrews.”

The Nov. 29 crash into waters near Kagoshima’s Yakushima island — the first fatal crash of the Osprey in Japan and the deadliest worldwide since the aircraft entered service in 2007 — rekindled concerns in Tokyo over the Osprey’s safety.