New Delhi (PTI): Japan has agreed to allot 20 additional slots for Indian carriers at Narita international Airport by 2010, which will facilitate operation of up to 28 services to Tokyo every week from the present four.

At a meeting to review the bilateral air traffic agreement with India, Japan agreed to allot 20 additional slots with effect from March 2010 at the congested Narita airport taking the total number of slots for Indian carriers to operate to Tokyo to 28, an official release said here.

Presently Indian carriers only have eight slots at Narita, sufficient for only four flights per week. Air India is already operating these four flights to Tokyo.

The move would enable private carriers like Jet Airways to operate to destinations in Japan.

During the meeting in Tokyo, both sides also agreed to expand their bilateral traffic entitlements from 21 services per week to 42 services per week with effect from March 2010, it said.

The Japanese carriers will be entitled to operate 14 services each on Tokyo-Delhi and Tokyo-Mumbai routes in 2010 from the present seven services each on these routes. The Indian carriers will be allowed to operate up to 28 services every week from points in India to Tokyo.

The Japanese authorities have also assured that they would make sincere endeavour to allot 28 additional slots at the Narita or Haneda airport in a timely manner for the Indian carriers to operate additional 14 services to Tokyo.

While the Indian delegation was led by Civil Aviation Ministry Joint Secretary R K Singh, the Japanese side was led by Deputy Director General of Civil Aviation Bureau Ryuhei Maeda.