Just six months after Haneda airport in Tokyo resumed full-fledged international operations, its ambition to attain a status as a global hub that rivals other major airports in Asia has waned as overseas travel to and from Japan plunged after the March 11 earthquake.
The number of people going on overseas trips via Haneda probably has sunk 20 to 30 percent compared with the prequake level although accurate data are still not available, says the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.
"We were gunning for a major break in the airport business as more airlines were opening new flight routes (through Haneda) after the airport expanded international operations," a senior ministry official said, lamenting missed opportunities.