Shore protection work was delayed for about six months from the original schedule and commenced in August 2000, due to a delay in compensation for fisheries around the construction site. However, efforts are being made to shorten the period of construction work by dividing the construction site into several sections for land reclamation work, and starting reclamation work first for the passenger terminal area - which requires more time for construction work - instead of starting on the construction of the passenger terminal building and others after land reclamation has been completed for the entire airport island. As a result, construction work for the passenger terminal building started in January 2002 and is scheduled to be completed in September 2004. The entire 470-hectare land reclamation for the airport was completed in February 2003, so construction work on the runway and taxiways commenced in the same month and is scheduled to be completed in the spring of 2004.

3. Consideration of the environment

Among airport providers in Japan, Central Japan International Airport Co., Ltd. was the first to obtain ISO 14001 certification, the international standard for environmental management systems, in December 2000. In order to reduce environmental loads, the company is also working on the following:
Consideration of the sea environment: Taking the sea environment into account, curved lines were introduced into the configuration of the airport island, the width of the sea area between the airport island and the opposite bank was widened and round corners were introduced so that they would not impede currents.
Consideration of ecosystems: In striving for harmony with nature, sloped banks were employed as a base with the use of natural stones on the airport island. In addition, a rocky underwater forest of a 10-meter width was created for the west and south sides of the banks (approximately 6.5 kilometers) in consideration of marine life habitats. Furthermore, in order to take all possible measures to ensure environmental conservation, environmental monitoring is being conducted and the results publicized.
Consideration of aircraft noise: To reduce aircraft noise over land, the runway and flight paths were carefully laid out. It is estimated that any aircraft noise exceeding environmental standards will not reach beyond the sea area.

4. Introduction of universal design

We are aiming for a passenger terminal building based not only on barrier-free design, but also on the concept of universal design so that the facilities will be convenient for all users, regardless of age or disability. Toward this end, we organized a workshop on universal design and received various proposals from scholars and movement-limited groups in the community with which consulting contracts were concluded. In practical terms, routes for departing and arriving passengers will be provided on the one floor so the trouble of moving to other floors will be eliminated. Elevators will also be easily accessible to disabled persons and moving walkways will be provided.

5. Cost reduction efforts

Various efforts are also being made to reduce the cost of providing various facilities at the airport based on a policy of open and fair competition. Namely, consulting is to be provided by businesses that are familiar with building construction, the introduction of market prices is being promoted and construction methods that reduce construction costs without sacrificing reliability and the quality of construction work are being proposed and implemented by businesses. For the total cost of the project, we now expect that a total of approximately ?100 billion will be saved - ?60 billion for land formation, ?34 billion for lowered interest rates and ?6 billion for the postponed provision of facilities. As for future construction work, we will make every possible effort to continuously reduce costs.

6. Future issues

We have much to do after the opening of Centrair in order to improve air routes and increase demand for air travel. Table 1 indicates the results of a questionnaire that was conducted in the summer of 2002 by the "Council on the Promotion of the Use of the Central Japan International Airport," which consists of members from local autonomous bodies and economic circles, regarding "Airports used for overseas business trips in the Chubu area." The questionnaire was sent to about 60,000 business travelers from 300 companies in Aichi, Gifu, Mie, Shizuoka and Nagano in order to survey departure airports by destination. Nearly 60% of business travelers destined for the U.S. and Europe used Narita Airport, partly because there were few direct services from Nagoya Airport. This year's (2003) actual performance of the current Nagoya Airport will greatly affect whether airlines introduce new routes or increase flights at the time of the opening of Centrair. Therefore, the Council on the Promotion of the Use of the Central Japan International Airport has launched a "fly Nagoya campaign" in order to increase demand for Nagoya Airport. Each airline is most interested in how frequently local residents and companies use the airport, so we will continue to work positively toward increasing demand for air travel through these and other such activities in the future.

7. Conclusion

In the 21st century, the Chubu area is expected to play a pivotal, global role in advanced industrial technology and to become an area where diverse exchanges from all over the world will be actively encouraged. We are aiming at the construction of a competitive international airport that is superior in convenience and in economic terms as a gateway connecting the Chubu area and the world, and hope to contribute to the development of a domestic and global air route network in the 21st century through the provision of attractive customer-focused services.

Location of Central Japan International Airport