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Article - Airport

New Narita Airport Concept - The future expansion plan of Tokyo Narita Airport

by Jeffrey Teruel - Founder/Editor-Flights in Asia
Published on April 08, 2025

Summary

Anticipating further growth in air travel demand, and to keep up with the developments of other air hubs in the Asia-Pacific, the operator of Tokyo Narita Airport (Narita) has revealed plans for future expansion.




Even after the rapid growth of international flights to/from Tokyo's Haneda Airport (Haneda) from the early 2010s, Narita International Airport (Narita) – continues to be the main international gateway to the city and Japan. Despite seeing the shift of flights operated by major airlines to Haneda, Narita continues to be an important part of Tokyo's dual airport system. Narita has continued to see growth in air passenger traffic and aircraft movements. Anticipating further growth in air travel demand, and to keep up with the developments of other air hubs in the Asia-Pacific, the operator of Narita has revealed plans for future expansion. These expansion plans include the extension of an existing runway, the construction of a third runway, and a consolidation of the three passenger terminals.  


Background and Current Situation of Narita Airport


Historically, there has been a separation of domestic and international flights at the two Tokyo-area air hubs. Haneda has long been the hub for domestic flights, while Narita became the main international gateway when it opened in 1978. That separation remained for just over 30 years until the late 2000s and the 2010s, when the Japanese government opened up flight slots for international flights to/from Haneda. Because of the proximity to Tokyo's city center, the big Japanese airlines All Nippon Airways (ANA), Japan Airlines (JAL), and major foreign airlines shifted some or all of their international flight operations in the Tokyo area from Narita to Haneda. As a result, Narita lost some ground when it comes to international arrivals into Tokyo and Japan.



Adding to the challenges Narita are some disadvantages for its operations compared to Haneda and other regional air hubs. The construction of the airport was marred by violent protests by activists and nearby residents, which resulted in delays and the reduction of the Japanese government's plan for Narita to just a one-runway facility when it opened. The second parallel runway was not opened until 2002 – nearly 25 years after Narita served its first flight. While expansion work has been done, there is still a night-time operations curfew at the airport to reduce the impact of noise on nearby residents.

Image: Aerial view of Narita Airport. Credit: Wikimedia Commons.


Between the two Tokyo area air hubs, Haneda is the busiest of the two airports serving 90 million passenger prior to the pandemic. Since the reopening of international air travel, Haneda is close to its pre-pandemic levels serving around 85 million in 2024. Haneda – located closer to the city of Tokyo in Tokyo Bay - has four runways, and aircraft follow flight paths to reduce the impact of noise over the city. Despite these advantages, Haneda is operating at or close to its capacity. As Japan continues to see growth in inbound travel, the dual hubs are handling close to 125 million passengers combined per year. Already with several expansion projects over the decades including a fourth runway built on a man-made structure in Tokyo Bay and Terminal 3, the Japanese government is now shifting its focus back to an expansion of Narita Airport. 



Despite the loss of some big name airlines, the current nighttime flight curfew, and the pandemic, Narita Airport has adapted and continued to be a major Asian aviation hub. After a dip in passenger traffic and aircraft movements when airlines shifted international flights from Narita to Haneda in the late 2000s and early 2010s, Narita then saw growth of both to its peak close to 45 million passengers in 2019 (44.34 million). Since the pandemic, passenger traffic has recovered to around 90% (2024 – 39.8 million). The growth has been attributed to the rise of inbound travel to Japan, and budget airlines opening domestic and international flights at Narita. In addition, Narita is also the busiest cargo hub of Japan handling around 2 million tonnes of cargo per year.




Expansion, New Runways, and a Consolidated Terminal


Based on the anticipated growth of air travel to/from Narita, the operator of the Narita Airport – the Narita International Airport Corporation (NAA) – has revealed expansion plans to boost the capacity of the airport. When done, the airport will be able to handle 75 million passengers and 500,000 aircraft movements per year.To address the growing travel demand especially for inbound traffic to Japan, NAA has laid out plans for expansion which will require the addition of 1000 hectares of land to the existing airport facilities.  

Image Credit: Narita International Airport Corporation (NAA)


The first part of the expansion plan is the extension of the existing second parallel runway which opened in 2022 (Runway 16L/34R) by around 1000m – from its current length of 2500m to 3500m. The second major part is for the construction of a third parallel runway. This new runway will have a length of around 3500m and will be east of the existing passenger terminals. Construction of the runway is expected to be completed by the year 2029. NAA plans to use both runways simultaneously for arrivals and departures.


Two other locations were considered for the third runway location, the location was decided for its ability to handle more aircraft and the shorter taxi time. During the extension of the second runway and the construction of the new runway, NAA stated that it will extend the operational time of the original, southern runway (Runway 16R/34L) by an extra hour. Upon completion, the usage of the third runway will be shifted base on noise levels. Flight paths for aircraft – including missed approaches – have also been mapped out.


While the runway expansion work and the new, third runway will boost Narita Airport's capacity, NAA has also made plans to consolidate the current three passenger terminal buildings into one. Referred to as the “New Narita Airport” concept, it will also include the construction of a new cargo terminal and train station.


Speaking on the New Narita Airport concept during the Japan International Transport and Tourism Institute Civil Aviation Symposium held in Washington DC on March 26, NAA President and CEO Akihiko Tamura said: “The passenger and the cargo terminals must also be upgraded … The three [current passenger] terminals will be consolidated into one terminal, and a new cargo terminal will be constructed near the expressway.” Work on the planned future additions to the airport facilities is expected to start in the late 2020s. 

Image Credit: Artist depiction of the New Narita Airport Concept. Narita International Airport Corporation (NAA)


Narita Airport's Expansion Challenges


Even until the present, the Japanese government and Narita Airport had to address the growth of Narita over the years while avoiding any further confrontation with the residents of the area. Before Narita Airport was opened, it faced scrutiny and protests. The protests – a very dark and violent time in the airport's history - resulted in delays of the construction and opening of the air hub. While today it is the main international gateway to Tokyo and Japan, the past continues to shape Narita Airport today. The night-time flight curfew and special instructions for pilots navigating around the airport is a result of those dark times.


The recently reported plans for the runway work at Narita Airport has been done in consultation with the government of Chiba Prefecture and nine municipalities. In addition, the airport has also pledged to assist residents with the installation of internal windows in properties that would be affected by changes on night flight restrictions. Yet the most pressing need for the expansion – especially the third runway – would be the acquisition of the needed land. Any acquisition of land would need the approval of existing residents and compensation. The airport project leaders would also need to anticipate and address new concerns brought up by local leaders and residents.


Another major concern that has been brought up has been the labor force at Narita Airport. Currently at around 40,000 employees, NAA anticipates the need for around 70,000 workers to help handle the additional passenger traffic. It has caused problems for the airport operator, such as not being able to handle new flights during the post-pandemic surge. To address this, the airport operator is looking to promote aviation work in Japan while also looking into foreign labor recruitment. “The most pressing issue is securing human resources,” Tamura was quoted saying in an article published by the Asahi.


Narita Airport is looking to keep up as a major international air hub for not just Tokyo and Japan, but also for Asia. The expansion plans will ensure the continued role of Narita as an important part of Tokyo's dual airport system. Though it will face challenges such as getting the needed workers, and balancing growth and avoiding confrontations with its neighbors. 

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