The transport ministry gave technical inspection approval Thursday to a second -- but scaled down -- runway at Narita airport. It also finalized the schedule to open the 2,180-meter parallel runway on April 18.

Land, Infrastructure and Transport Minister Chikage Ogi presented the approval document to Toru Nakamura, head of the Narita Airport Authority, at the minister's office in Tokyo.

Nakamura said the airport has already received requests from many foreign airlines wanting to use the second runway. The results of flight schedule adjustments will be made public in March, he added.

On April 17, one day before the official opening, a ceremony will be held at the airport. An airplane carrying local businessmen will take off from the new runway for Kagoshima to commemorate the opening, he said.

The government has spent years planning to open a second runway at Narita, but opposition from local landowners and left-wing extremists delayed the project.

To handle expected surges of cargo and passenger traffic for the World Cup soccer finals that kick off in May, the transport ministry decided to build a shorter runway as an interim measure. It had originally planned to build a 2,500-km runway suitable for long-range jumbo jet takeoffs.

"We still would like to complete a 2,500-meter runway as soon as possible," Nakamura said.

However, no concrete plans have been drawn up, he said, adding the authority will continue holding talks with those involved in the project.

During fiscal 2000, Narita handled 53.6 percent of the nation's international flight passengers and 61.6 percent of air freight. It is the main entry point for the Tokyo area.