U.S.-Japan Talks Resume

Washington, D.C. - The United States and Japan will resume aviation talks here June 27 and 28 following a June 3-4 round in Tokyo that resulted in more frustration than resolutions. The United States still is not committing itself to full-scale negotiations that would lead to a new bilateral with Japan, preferring to state only that "outstanding issues" need to be resolved first.

A few of those issues were resolved in a limited way at the Tokyo round. Both countries agreed to extend through July 8 an increase in the number of weekly Los Angeles-Tokyo flights operated by United Airlines from seven to 14, and an increase in the number of weekly flights Japan Airlines may operate in the Honolulu-Sendai market from three to seven.

Unresolved issues raised at the early June meeting included pending requests from United and Northwest to begin operations beyond Osaka's Kansai International Airport to Jakarta. The United States pointed out that although these services are authorized under current agreements, Japan continues to deny operating rights for them.

Negotiators on the American side were described as expressing "strong dissatisfaction" with the Japanese "unwillingness" to resolve outstanding disputes expeditiously, according to the Transporation Department.