Narita International Airport is expecting a 5 percent fall in cross-border passengers this summer vacation period compared with last year, due largely to airlines having shifted some flights to Haneda, the international gateway closer to central Tokyo.
Narita, located about 70 km northeast of Tokyo, is projecting 3.39 million passengers for international services from this Friday through Aug. 31, better only in the last five years than 2011, when travel demand deflated after the Fukushima nuclear crisis.
Departures from Narita are projected to reach the highest level on Aug. 9 with 46,000 passengers, while the arrival peak is expected Aug. 17 with 48,000, Narita International Airport Corp. said Monday.
Some airlines have been moving services linking Tokyo with Asian and European cities to Haneda airport after more daytime flight slots were made available for international operations.