Narita International Airport on Sunday marked the start of full construction work to expand its capacity, including the addition of a third runway to be completed by the end of March 2029.
As a result, the airport in Chiba Prefecture, which services Tokyo, will see the number of its annual landing and takeoff slots jump to 500,000 from the current 300,000.
Including slots at Tokyo's Haneda Airport, the combined annual flights at the two main airports serving the capital will reach 1 million.
As part of the ¥670-billion project, a 3,500-meter runway will be built while the 2,500-meter Runway B will be extended by 1,000 meters.
The total land area of the airport will increase by 1,099 hectares, almost double the current size. The airport operator has secured 83% of the land needed for the expansion and plans to accelerate land acquisition this fiscal year through March 2026.
"Global demand for air travel will double in the next 20 years. “The Asia-Pacific region is growing fastest among all regions,” Narita International Airport President Akihiko Tamura said at a ceremony marking the start of full-scale construction at the airport.
"It is urgent that we strengthen our capabilities to boost Japan’s and Tokyo’s international competitiveness, attract more foreign tourists, and promote development around the airport," he added,
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.