U.S. to return part of airspace near Haneda

The United States agreed Friday to return to Japan around 40% of the airspace adjacent to Haneda airport that has been under the control of the U.S. Air Force's Yokota base in suburban Tokyo, Japanese government officials said Friday.

The agreement, reached at the civil aviation subcommittee of the Japan-U.S. Joint Committee, could pave the way for west-bound departure flights from Haneda airport to climb more moderately and shorten flight times. It would also allow Japan's civil aviation authorities to establish double-track departure flight routes and increase the number of flights from Haneda airport by 130 departures a day, the officials said.