Tokyo's Haneda airport will accommodate up to 26 international charter round-trip flights per day during the World Cup finals between May 31 and June 30, airline industry officials said Thursday.
The charter plan for the airport -- which is mainly used for domestic flights -- is designed to cope with an influx of visitors expected during the international soccer tournament. Japan is also considering allowing international flights to Japanese cities that will host World Cup games.
After the World Cup ends, the extra 26 slots will be used for domestic flights, the officials said.
The Land, Infrastructure and Transport Ministry will decide on specific routes and schedules after holding aviation talks with South Korea and considering requests from airlines. It also plans to assess an increase in traffic at Tokyo's primary international airport, Narita, after its second runway opens in April.
The international charter flights will include those from South Korea, Southeast Asia and Europe, in addition to flights from countries that have no regular air links with Japan, the officials said.
The quota of domestic round-trip flights at Haneda airport was increased to 57 per day in 2000 after an extra runway was completed.
In July that year, the transport ministry assigned 31 flights to various airlines and will distribute the remaining 26 in July.
Haneda airport previously served as Tokyo's international airport, but was turned into a domestic airport when Narita airport opened in Chiba Prefecture in 1978.