U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta said Wednesday that the United States will urge Japan to open Tokyo's Haneda airport to U.S. carriers if it is allowed to provide international services.
In a congressional hearing, Mineta said Japan should open up Haneda airport for international flights although there has been much resistance to using it for such services.
"That's something I'd be more than happy to discuss with them (the Japanese)," Mineta said, hinting that Washington will press Japan to allocate part of the possible international flights at Haneda to U.S. carriers when the two countries hold civil aviation talks in late February.
Mineta was replying to a question by Sen. Daniel Inoue of Hawaii, who said Washington should call on Japan to open up Haneda to U.S. airlines.