TALKS are underway between the operator of Narita International Airport, the Japanese government, the prefectural authority and local residents over the construction of a new 3.5km runway to meet soaring demand to Japan.
A committee has drawn up a proposal for a third runway at Narita that would increase takeoff and landing slots from 300,000 a year at present to around 500,000.
Narita’s operator also hopes that adding a third runway will make the facility more attractive in comparison with other regional hub airports in Hong Kong, Singapore and Seoul.
More than 11.4 million foreign nationals arrived in Japan in the first six months of calendar 2016, a record high and the first time the figure has surpassed the 10 million mark. The surge has placed a strain on infrastructure.
Koh Takagi, of the airport’s international department, said the project is at the “start line” and that it would be difficult to predict a completion date – although he confirmed that work should begin by 2020.
“We have to negotiate with the local authorities and local residents to win their understanding for the proposal and that might take a long time if there is resistance,” he said.
Geoffrey Tudor, senior analyst for Japan Aviation Management Research, agrees that Narita needs a third runway.
“Increasing landing and takeoff slots to 500,000 a year will be a great benefit to the airport and they are clearly banking on growth in the air transport sector, including the budget carrier segment,” he said.
“For many years, Narita has been losing out to other regional airports and the authorities now appear to want to turn Narita into a hub.”
