OSAKA — The Land, Infrastructure and Transport Ministry's downward revision Friday of the projected number of takeoffs and landings at Kansai International Airport is likely to increase pressure on officials here to postpone the completion date for the second runway beyond 2007.
Most of the pressure is expected to come from foreign airlines comfortable at Narita and the central government.
"There is great opposition within the Finance Ministry to a second runway at Kansai airport," one Kansai airport official said. "The new projection of only 136,000 takeoffs and landings by 2007 on the first runway will give opponents of a second runway powerful ammunition to cut funding for the project."