Narita airport allows foreign cargo vehicle drivers without Japan licenses

CHIBA, Japan - A program allowing foreign workers without Japanese driver's licenses to operate freight transportation vehicles on aircraft parking aprons has begun at Narita airport near Tokyo in an effort to address a severe labor shortage.

The first such program in Japan shortens the time required for workers to begin operating cargo vehicles by eliminating the need to convert a foreign license to a Japanese one, a process that usually takes around six months.