Investing in the Future of ‘Air Travel’

Investing in the Future of ‘Air Travel’

Inside view of Haneda Airport Terminal 2

Inside view of Haneda Airport Terminal 2

Haneda Airport has aimed to be a benchmark of efficiency and ease of travel for passengers since the company was established in 1953. The airport recently won the World’s Best Domestic Airport Award at the 2013 Skytrax World Airport Awards in Geneva, Switzerland. With the airport’s close proximity to Tokyo and trade between Japan and ASEAN increasing, Haneda Airport is ready for the future.

“We are celebrating our sixtieth anniversary this year and we have continuously strived to improve the services we provide to our customers”, says Isao Takashiro, President, Japan Airport Terminal Co. Ltd. (JAT). “Our ultimate task is to ensure passengers a memorable experience while at our terminals.”

Since most international flights moved to Narita International Airport upon its completion in 1978, Haneda has been recognised for many years as the center for domestic travel. However, they re-opened their doors to international travellers in 2010.

“With over capacity at Narita Airport, the government decided to take on international flights to ease congestion,” says Takashiro. “Currently, no regulations for restricting flights are imposed on us, however, we initially started accepting flights within a range of 2,000 km from Haneda Airport only.”

Following strategic investments to the airport, the expansion of the international terminal will be completed by early 2014. The expansion is expected to accommodate the number of daytime flights up to 60,000 per year and will position Haneda Airport as the world’s third busiest airport.

“We would like to boost our position as an air hub in terms of both domestic and international flights while working seamlessly together with Narita Airport,” says Takashiro. “The advantage of being a hub is the amount of information we have available and we aim to be a communication centre between Japan and the rest of the world in key industries. With our expertise in operational terminal management, our goal is to enhance the value of our airport by handling more flights, increasing passenger traffic as well as improving the transit experience of passenger by increasing the internationalization of shops and restaurants within the airport”.

In addition to the increasing number of business travellers to Japan, the government intends to increase the number of tourists by promoting Japan as an attractive tourist destination.

“In light of the fortieth anniversary between Japan and ASEAN, the Japanese government relaxed the visa application process to encourage travellers from the region”, says Takashiro. “Since last year, we have seen at least fifteen percent growth in passenger numbers coming from Southeast Asia. As trade between Japan and ASEAN increases, we would like to welcome passengers from the region and provide them with a truly unique experience at Haneda.”