The Central Japan International Airport (Centrair) is being constructed to provide a new air gateway to the central region of Japan. The airport island is being built in Aichi prefecture, about 170 miles southwest of Tokyo. The airport will serve a major population centre of about 10 million people and also a major industrial area, particularly automobile producers; the airport is expected to handle a significant quantity of the commercial cargo from the area. Despite much protest over the project's necessity by local environmentalists and fishermen, the construction started in August 2000. The airport is scheduled to open by March 2005 in time to handle passenger traffic for a World Exposition to be held in nearby Aichi. The airport is expected to become Japan's third largest international airport.

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