Flight Quota at Narita International Airport to Expand

Narita, Chiba Pref., Jan. 24 (Jiji Press)--Narita International Airport Corp., the Japanese government and local governments agreed Friday to expand the annual quota for flight departures and arrivals at the airport near Tokyo from 300,000 a year to 340,000, effective in October.

The expansion of the quota for the airport in Narita, Chiba Prefecture, the first since 2010, comes in response to increasing demand for flights, including among inbound tourists.

The airport is projected to have recorded about 250,000 departures and arrivals last year, a figure expected to top 300,000 in 2026, according to the operator.

The increase in the quota is "essential to meet flight demand in the Tokyo metropolitan area and better compete with other airports in Asia," Chiba Governor Toshihito Kumagai told reporters.

The airport operator plans to build a third runway by the end of March 2029 to boost the annual departure and arrival quota to 500,000.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]