Narita International Airport Company (NAA) has begun preparing applications for the forced acquisition of land to build a new runway.
This move signals a shift toward legal compulsion after years of attempted negotiations with local landowners. The expansion is critical for increasing the airport's capacity to handle growing international traffic, but the project faces delays due to remaining holdouts.
NAA President Naoki Fujii reported the development to Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Yasuyuki Kaneko on Monday. Fujii said that the company is moving forward with preparations for the land expropriation system to ensure the project's realization.
According to Fujii, land acquisition stood at 90.4% [1] as of the end of June. This leaves approximately 10% [2] of the necessary land unacquired, with negotiations for the remaining parcels described as difficult.
"To realize the project, we will proceed with the preparations for the procedures necessary to utilize the land expropriation system," Fujii said.
The process of forced acquisition is not immediate. A representative from the Narita International Airport Company said that the procedures are expected to take two to three years [3] to complete.
Under the Land Expropriation Act, the government can compel owners to sell their property if the project is deemed to serve a significant public interest. This legal mechanism is typically used as a last resort when voluntary agreements cannot be reached. The airport's expansion has long been a point of contention with local communities in Chiba Prefecture, where land rights, and environmental concerns have historically slowed infrastructure development.
“"To realize the project, we will proceed with the preparations for the procedures necessary to utilize the land expropriation system,"”
The decision to trigger the Land Expropriation Act indicates that NAA has exhausted voluntary negotiation options. By moving toward forced acquisition, the airport is prioritizing operational capacity and government timelines over local consensus. However, the projected two-to-three-year window for legal completion means the new runway will not be operational in the immediate future, potentially delaying Japan's efforts to boost its aviation competitiveness.
