Tokyo and several municipal authorities ask for details of Osprey flight resumption

The Tokyo metropolitan government and several municipal authorities are seeking more information about the lifting of a ban on flights of Osprey tilt-rotor transport aircraft by the US military.

The US military had grounded its entire Osprey fleet deployed globally after one of the planes crashed into waters off the southwestern Japanese prefecture of Kagoshima in November. The US forces announced the lifting of the ban on Friday.

A council comprising of Tokyo and municipalities surrounding the Yokota base delivered a document to the central government, asking it to clarify the cause of the accident. It also asked for details on measures to ensure safety and prevent a recurrence. The document says concerns are mounting among residents of areas around the US base about the safety of Osprey operations.