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The civil airports which existed as of August 1, 1974, included three
Class I Airports (airports necessary for international air routes), 19 Class
II Airports (airports necessary for major domestic air routes), 40 Class III
Airports (airports necessary for the maintenance of local air transport), and
60 Airports for Common Use (airports established and managed by the Defense
Agency but usable by civil aircraft).
The Improvement of these airports and the construction of new airports are
being energetically stepped up under the Second Five-Year Airport Improvement
Program. This program (with its outlays totaling Y560,000 million) started in
fiscal 1971 and places emphasis on the improvement of international airports
in the Tokyo and Osaka areas where the demand of air transport is great, usability
of jet aircraft at local airports, and anti-noise projects.
Fiscal 1974 turns out to be the fourth year of this program. A check of
the projects conducted in the last four years reveals that the projects for
air safety facilities have made progress practically as planned, and the anti-noise
projects have been carried forward at a faster pace than planned. In sharp contrast,
there has been a marked delay in the implementation of projects for the redevelopment
of airports.
Immediately after the Second Five-Year Airport Improvement Plan had been
inaugurated, there emerged an increased awareness of environmental issues, thus
bringing about marked changes in the social situation, such as a strong call
for the formulation of environmental standards for aircraft noise. The situation
was such that it became increasingly difficult to carry out the improvement
of airports without powerful environmental measures. Insofar the measures against
aircraft noise were concerned there arose a need to set aside greater appropriations
than initially planned, on the one hand, and on the other, there was a conspicuous
delay in the construction of new airports and the expansion of existing airports.(Table
lll-7)
In response to the aforementioned changes in the social situation, the second
Five-Year Airport Improvement Program is being re-examined in order to set up
the streamlining of airports and air safety facilities in such a manner as to
satisfy social requirements in a longiange Perspective.
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