US Military Considering Japan's Request To Use Air Base During 2020 Olympics - Reports

The US military in Japan is considering a Japanese request to share its Yokota Air Base on the outskirts of Tokyo for civilian flights during next year's Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, local media reported on Friday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th April, 2019) The US military in Japan is considering a Japanese request to share its Yokota Air Base on the outskirts of Tokyo for civilian flights during next year's Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, local media reported on Friday.

According to a US military officer as cited by the Japanese NHK news outlet, the military is currently considering the request and will come to a conclusion on the matter as soon as possible.

Japan has requested to use the Yokota Air Base for the duration of the upcoming 2020 Tokyo Olympics, to accommodate the influx of travelers who will be coming to the island nation's overpopulated capital for the games.

Japan and the United States have previously discussed using the air base as a joint military-civilian air port, but the US military has been reluctant in fear of jeopardizing the base's operational readiness.

The Yokota Air Base is located to the west of Tokyo city. Its runway is 3,350 meters long, making it one of the longest runways in Japan.

The next Summer Olympic Games will be held in Tokyo from July 24 to August 9, 2020.