CHIBA, Japan - The operator of Japan's Narita airport and related entities agreed Friday to begin procedures for compulsory land acquisition to advance its stalled plan to build a new runway and extend an existing one.
Narita International Airport Corp. plans to expand the airport, a major international gateway in Chiba Prefecture, east of Tokyo, amid booming inbound tourism, but has struggled to acquire the necessary land.
The decision was made by a committee comprising representatives of the airport operator, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, the Chiba prefectural government and surrounding municipalities.
"We have been reflecting upon the one-sidedness in the history of airport construction. We will do our best to gain approval from the landowners with their situation in mind," said Naoki Fujii, president of the airport operator.
The operator said it has yet to acquire agreements for 4.8 percent, or about 53 hectares, of the land needed for the project, as some landowners remain dissatisfied.
Construction of the 3,500-meter Runway C and an extension of the 2,500-meter Runway B by 1,000 meters has been under way at Narita airport since 2025 to accommodate growing inbound tourism and expanding logistics demand.
Once completed, the project will nearly double the airport's size to 2,297 hectares and increase its annual takeoff and landing slots to 500,000 from the current 340,000.
The international airport opened in 1978 despite fierce local resistance to land acquisition after the central government approved its construction in July 1966.
