Article 1. The Airport Development Law shall cover matters concerning the establishment, management, and sharing of airport costs, and contribute to promoting civil aviation development.
(Definition and Classification of Airport)
Article 2. The term "Airport" in this Law means a public aerodrome chiefly providing civil air transport services, and classified as follows:
(1)First class airport: The New Tokyo International Airport, the Kansai International Airport, and any airport which is necessary for international air transport services, and as specified by Cabinet Order.
(2)Second class airport: Any airport which is necessary for primary domestic air transport services, and as specified by Cabinet Order.
(3)Third class airport: Any airport which is necessary for securing regional air transport services, and as specified by Cabinet Order.
2. A Cabinet Order applying to any item in the preceding paragraph shall explicitly state the airport's name and location.
(Establishment and Administration of First Class Airports)
Article 3. The Minister of Transport shall establish and manage/operate first class airports.
2. Notwithstanding the provision in the preceding paragraph, the New Tokyo International Airport Authority shall establish and manage operate the New Tokyo International Airport, and the Kansai International Airport Corporation shall establish and manage operate the Kansai International Airport.
(Establishment and Administration of Second Class Airports)
Article 4. The Minister of Transport shall establish and manage/operate second class airports.
2. Notwithstanding the provision in the preceding paragraph, the Minister of Transport may, when deemed adequate for the purpose of administration of the airport concerned, entrust the administration of a second class airport to a regional administrative organization upon request. In this case, the Minister of Transport shall, recognizing another regional administrative organization as having vital interest, notify said organization of this intention in advance.
3. Any regional administrative organization shall, when intending to apply in accordance with the provision of the first half of the preceding paragraph, or
