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UNRELEASED | Sept. 25, 2008
YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan – As agreed to by the Governments of Japan and the
U.S. under transformation and realignment documents, portions of Yokota air space was
returned today.
The return completes the turnover which began last September with implementation
of “flexible use” of Yokota air space. Flexible use facilitated the movement of civilian
aircraft through Yokota air space by temporarily transferring air traffic control responsibility
to Japanese authorities when not required for military purposes. Now that the air space
has been returned, the Government of Japan will have permanent control. The benefits of
the airspace transfer are:
o Flight times will be reduced by approximately 7,200 hours per year.
o It will save approximately 8.7 million gallons of fuel a year
o It will shorten the flight time of Japanese airliners headed west from Haneda
airport an average of three minutes
o Reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 81,000 tons.
o Cost reduction for airlines of approximately 10.9 billion yen per year
“Returning the airspace garners good will toward U.S. Forces by helping to reduce travel
time and pollution in the community,” said Michael Bishop, the 5th Air Force’s deputy
operations director. “It also provides better flow control for Japanese air traffic control and
Yokota, as well.
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*The October 29, 2005 Security Consultative Committee Document, “U.S.-Japan Alliance: Transformation
and Realignment for the Future,” and the follow-on May 1, 2006 “Roadmap for Realignment Implementation”
direct implementation of initiatives including those relating to Yokota Air Base and air space. They can be
accessed in English or Japanese at http://www.mofa.go.jp/region/n-america/us/security/scc/doc0510.html.