The aviation industry does not care who owns airports as long as the facilities are properly and efficiently managed, the head of the International Air Transport Association said Thursday.

IATA Director General Giovanni Bisignani's comments came amid fierce debate among Japanese lawmakers over whether to cap the stake held by overseas investors in the operators of the country's airports that are undergoing privatization.

"I don't care who owns the airport. That is for politicians to decide. An airport is important for what it delivers, not who owns it," Bisignani said in a speech in Tokyo.