Japan’s Narita airport plans third runway amid tourist surge

The operator of Narita International Airport is in discussions with the national government, the prefectural authority and local communities over the construction of a new 3,500-metre runway to meet growing demand for flights to and from Japan.

More than 11.4 million foreign nationals arrived in Japan in the first six months of 2016, a record high and the first time the figure has surpassed the 10 million mark. The surge in tourist numbers has placed a strain on infrastructure, although officials admit it is unlikely that the planned new runway will be completed in time for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, when more than 40 million people are expected to visit Japan.

A committee has drawn up a proposal for the third runway at the airport, in Chiba Prefecture to the east of Tokyo, that would increase take-off and landing slots from 300,000 a year at present to around 500,000.

That sort of capacity would enable Narita to be more competitive against Haneda International Airport, which is to the South of Tokyo but is preferred by many travellers because it is much closer to the centre of the city. Further expansion of Haneda is limited because of its location alongside Tokyo Bay, as well as on reclaimed land.

Narita International Airport Corp also hopes that adding a third runway will make the facility more attractive against the regional hub airports that have emerged in Hong Kong, Singapore and Incheon, South Korea.

“We are at the start line in terms of whether we will be able to go ahead with this proposal and when it might be ready,” Koh Takagi, of the company’s International Department, told the South China Morning Post. “We have to negotiate with the local authorities and local residents to win their understanding for the proposal and that might take a long time if there is resistance.”