The number of foreign travelers flying to or out of Narita airport near Tokyo surged 21 percent in the year ended March to a record 12.9 million, the airport operator said Wednesday.
The growth compares with a decline of 3 percent in the number of Japanese passengers on international flights to and from the airport to around 13.1 million for the year ended March 31, said Narita International Airport Corp.
Although the number of Japanese passengers on international flights to and from Narita is still higher than that of foreign travelers using the airport, the gap narrowed sharply from 2.86 million the previous year, and the numbers will likely be reversed in the near future, said an official of the airport operator.
The number of tourists from Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore increased especially on the back of the yen's depreciation and visa exemptions for people from Southeast Asian countries.
A total of 37.94 million passengers used the airport, up 7 percent from the previous year, with the number of passengers on domestic flights jumping 15 percent to 6.89 million.
The number of takeoffs and landings at Narita airport totaled approximately 235,000, up 3 percent from the previous year and hitting a record high for the fourth consecutive year, as nine airlines launched international flights and existing carriers expanded flights.