The Transport Ministry set up an internal panel Tuesday to study the possibility of late-night and early-morning international flights at Tokyo's Haneda airport, Transport Minister Toshihiro Nikai said.

Nikai said that there have been "extraordinarily strong" calls to increase international operations at Haneda airport, which is mainly used for domestic flights.

"I want to make some progress to meet requests from all parties," Nikai told a press conference.

The panel, headed by Civil Aviation Bureau chief Satoshi Iwamura, held its first meeting later the same day, pointing out several issues to be discussed before launching international operations at the airport.

The primary issue will be noise pollution in Chiba Prefecture, the area where airplanes would be flying most, ministry officials said.

The core operating hours for international flights at the already busy airport would be set from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m., the window with the fewest flights.

Whether international operations can be extended beyond those hours is another topic that will have to be studied, the officials said.

Of particular interest will be the feasibility of servicing international chartered flights. The panel will probably submit its conclusion by summer, they said.

At the moment, Narita airport in Chiba Prefecture is the primary international airport in the Tokyo metropolitan area.

The Chiba Prefectural Government is staunchly opposed to expanding international operations at Haneda airport, apparently due to fears of noise pollution and loss of passenger traffic at Narita airport.

Other issues to be studied include new terminals and facilities that would be necessary for for customs, immigration and quarantine operations, as well as demands for such flights from airlines, the ministry officials said.