"Japan's actions have denied the United States air access to Indonesia via Japan, a right we are entitled to by treaty," Richard B. Hirst, Northwest's senior vice president for corporate affairs, said yesterday.

"It is essential that the DOT take immediate action to induce the government of Japan to honor its treaty obligations."

Northwest, which originally hoped to begin flying the route last July, first filed a complaint against Japan on July 3.

But in a new filing yesterday, Northwest suggested that an appropriate penalty would be to deny Japan Airlines' pending U.S. application to add four new Tokyo-Kona flights a week.

Transportation spokesman Bill Mosley said the agency won't comment on the matter until officials carefully review Northwest's filing.

Northwest is one of three U.S. airlines allowed access to various Japanese destinations under the existing 1952 bilateral aviation treaty.

For at least the past seven months, Northwest has been waiting for Tokyo to approve its proposed Jakarta route.

Paul Casey, president of the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau, said today Hawaii is once again getting dragged into something that has nothing to do with Hawaii. "Carriers wanting to come to Hawaii from Japan get caught up in these bilateral issues," he said.

Last summer, the U.S. denied permission for JAL's planned Hiroshima-Honolulu service when United Airlines complained that Japan must give U.S. airlines additional rights before the United States allows any more entries by Japanese carriers.

JAL wants to increase its Kona service in June to four flights, with authority to go to daily service some time in the future when the market warrants it, said Gilbert Kimura, JAL regional sales manager in Honolulu.

The United States last year approved those rights for JAL at least until March and has said it expects to get them renewed.

U.S.-Japan aviation talks have been deadlocked since last August, when Japan refused to allow Federal Express Corp. to fly several routes.

The two countries made little progress at a meeting this month, but have said they hope to resume talks next month.

The United States wants an "open skies" policy that would remove most restrictions.

So far, Japan has balked at open skies over concern U.S. carriers will take Japanese carriers' market share. U.S. airlines control about 65 percent of the U.S.-Japan market.