Tokyo eyes nearby US air base for handling flights during Olympics

YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan — American forces say they’ll consider any detailed proposal for shared civilian use of a base in western Tokyo during the 2020 Olympics.

The Japanese government has suggested that allowing civilian planes to land at Yokota, home of U.S. Forces Japan and 5th Air Force, could help increase the number of flights arriving during the games, the Mainichi newspaper reported Friday.

However, no decisions have been made about dual use of Yokota or any other U.S. military facility, said Air Force Col. John Hutcheson, a USFJ spokesman, in an email Friday.

“Any future commitments of specific US military support to the Olympics and Paralympics will be balanced against operational readiness concerns and Alliance obligations,” he said.

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