Narita International Airport (成田国際空港,Narita Kokusai Kūkō;IATA:NRT,ICAO:RJAA) — originally known asNew Tokyo International Airport (新東京国際空港,Shin Tōkyō Kokusai Kūkō) — is the secondaryinternational airport serving theGreater Tokyo Area, the other beingHaneda Airport (HND). It is about 60 km (37 mi) east of centralTokyo inNarita, Chiba.[2] The facility, since July 2019, covers 1,137hectares (2,810acres) of land and construction to expand to nearly 2,300 ha (5,700 acres) is underway.[3]
The conceptualization of Narita was highly controversial and remains so to the present day, especially among local residents in the area. This has led to theSanrizuka Struggle, stemming from the government's decision to construct the airport without consulting most residents in the area, as well as expropriating their lands in the process. Even after the airport was eventually completed, air traffic movements have been controlled under various noise related operating restrictions due to its direct proximity with residential neighborhoods, including a house with a farm that is located right in between the runways.[4] As a result, the airport must be closed from 00:00 (12:00am) to 06:00 (6:00am) the next day to minimize the noise pollution impact around the airport.[5]
Anti-airport protesters' equipment and weaponsSteel tower built by protesters adjacent to Narita AirportRiot squad vehicles patrolling the outskirts of Tokyo Narita Airport
Before Narita opened, Tokyo International Airport (also known asHaneda Airport) was Tokyo's main international airport. Haneda, located inTokyo Bay was surrounded by densely populated residential and industrial areas, and began to suffer capacity and noise issues in the early 1960s as jet aircraft became common. TheJapanese transport ministry commissioned a study of alternate airport locations in 1963, and in 1965 selected a plan to build a five-runway airport in the village ofTomisato.[10] The site was later moved 5 km (3.1 mi) northeast to the villages ofSanrizuka andShibayama, where theImperial Household had a large farming estate. This development plan was made public in 1966.[11]
The government argued that one merit of the site was the relative ease ofexpropriation of land [ja]. However, local residents were not consulted during the initial planning phase, and learned of the selection of the airport site through the news. This led to shock and anger among the local community, which continued for many years. Though the Japanese government hademinent domain power by law, such power was rarely used due to a preference to resolve land disputes consensually.[12]
At the time, thesocialist movement still had considerable strength in Japan, evidenced by the large-scale student riots in Tokyo in 1960.[13] Many in the "new left" such asChūkaku-ha opposed building Narita, reasoning that the real purpose for the new airport was to promotecapitalism and to provide additional facilities for US military aircraft in the event of war with theSoviet Union. These individuals sought to ally with the more conservative local farmers who simply did not want to give up their land for the airport.[14]
About 1966, a group of local residents combined with student activists and left-wing political parties formed a popular resistance group, theSanrizuka-Shibayama Union to Oppose the Airport [ja] (三里塚芝山連合空港反対同盟;Sanrizuka-Shibayama Rengo Kūkō Hantai Dōmei), which remained active until fracturing in 1983 and they started protest activity calledSanrizuka Struggle (三里塚闘争;Sanrizuka tōsō).[14]Similar strategies had already been employed during the postwar era to block the expansion ofTachikawa Air Base and other US military facilities in Japan.[14] In June and July 1966, the Union sent formal protests to the mayor of Narita, the governor and vice-governor of Chiba Prefecture and the prefectural office of theLiberal Democratic Party.[14] In November 1967, when the Transport Ministry began surveying the perimeter of the airport, Union members set up roadblocks. TheZengakuren radical student union then began sending students to Narita to help the local farmers.[14] During eminent domain, three policemen were killed by activists.[15]
Takenaka Corporation constructed the first terminal building, which was completed in 1972. The first runway took several more years due to constant fights with the Union and sympathizers, who occupied several pieces of land necessary to complete the runway and temporarily built large towers in the runway's path.[13] In 1977, the government had finally destroyed the towers, butone activist [ja] andone policeman were killed [ja].
The runway was completed and the airport scheduled to open on March 30, 1978, but this plan was disrupted when, on March 26, 1978, agroup of protestors broke into the control tower [ja] and destroyed much of its equipment, causing about $500,000 in damage and delaying the opening until May 20.[16]
The airport opened under a high level of security; the airfield was surrounded by opaque metal fencing and overlooked by guard towers staffed with riot police. 14,000 security police were at the airport's opening and were met by 6,000 protesters; a Japanese newscaster remarked at the time that "Narita resembles nothing so much asSaigon Airport during theVietnam War."[17] Protestors attacked police on the opening day with rocks and firebombs while police responded withwater cannons; on the other side of Tokyo, a separate group of protestors claimed responsibility for cutting the power supply to anair traffic control facility atTokorozawa, which shut down most air traffic in the Tokyo area for several hours.[16] TheNational Diet passed a special statute, theEmergency Measures Act Relating to the Preservation of Security at New Tokyo International Airport [ja], specifically banning the construction and use of buildings for violent and coercive purposes relating to the new airport.[18] Nevertheless, several people have been killed by terrorist acts, including inarson incidents against Totetsu Kogyo [ja] andNippi Corp. employees [ja] in 1983 and 1990, respectively, as well as anattack on a Chiba Prefecture official [ja] in 1988.
The conflicts at Narita were a major factor in the decision to buildKansai International Airport inOsaka offshore on reclaimed land, instead of again trying to expropriate land in heavily populated areas.[19]
Japan's international flag carrier,Japan Airlines, moved its main international hub from Haneda to Narita, andNorthwest andPan American also moved their Asian regional hubs from Haneda to Narita. Those two U.S. carriers operate fifth-freedom routes to other Asian countries under bilateral agreement.[20] Pan American transferred its Pacific Division, including its Narita hub, toUnited Airlines in February 1986.[21] Japanese domestic carrier All Nippon Airways began scheduled international flights from Narita to Guam in 1986.[22]
From 1978 to 2015, Narita Airport was the only airport in Japan where visitors were required to show ID upon entry, due to the tumultuous history of the airport's construction and the violent protests before, during, and after its opening. By 2012, Narita's operator was considering dispensing with the security checks. Given that the number of flight slots at Narita are also increasing, the anti-airport struggles were decades in the past, andHaneda Airport began to re-instate international flights, a council headed by Chiba governorKensaku Morita consisting of prefectural government officials, the Narita International Airport Corporation and business groups in Narita, proposed scrapping the ID checks. The Chiba prefectural police objected, stating that the checks were necessary to detect extremists and terrorists.[23]
NAA experimented with a new threat detection system for two months in 2013, using a combination of cameras, explosive detectors, dogs and other measures in lieu of passport and baggage checks upon entering the terminal. In March 2015, NAA announced that the ID checks would cease and the new system would be used for terminal building security, effective as of the end of that month.[24]
Narita Airport was the first Japanese airport to housemillimeter wave scanners. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced in March 2010 that trials would be carried out at Narita from July 5 through September 10, 2010. Five types of machines were to be tested sequentially outside the Terminal 1 South Wing security checkpoint; the subjects were Japanese nationals who volunteered for trial screening, as well as airport security staff during hours when the checkpoint is closed.[25]
In 2003, a Narita International Airport Corporation Act (成田国際空港株式会社法) was passed to provide for theprivatization of the airport. As part of this change, on 1 April 2004, New Tokyo International Airport was officially renamed Narita International Airport, reflecting its popular designation since its opening. The airport was also moved from government control to the authority of a newNarita International Airport Corporation, usually abbreviated to "NAA."[26]
The headquarters is on the airport grounds. The authority previously had its head office in Tokyo with some offices in and around Narita; the head office moved and the Narita offices consolidated according to the decision by the Japanese Cabinet in July 1988 making it aspecial corporation.[27] The NAA head office started operations at the airport on 1 July 1996,[28] in the formerJapan Airlines operations center, acquired by NAA in July 1994. Renovations occurred from September 1995 to March 1996. After the move, the Kishimoto Building inMarunouchi,Chiyoda, Tokyo housed the NAA's Tokyo functions.[27]
To assist in the relationship with the local community, NAA operates the Community Consultation Center (地域相談センター) and the Airport Information Center (空港情報センター).[29] The Community Consultation Center is in the Chiyoda Branch of Shibayama-machi Community Center in Osato,Shibayama,[30] while the Airport Information Center is located in Sanrizuka, Narita.[31]
New Tokyo International Airport was originally envisioned to have fiverunways, but the initial protests in 1965 led to a down-scaling of the plan to three runways: two parallel northwest–southeast runways 4,000 m (13,123 ft) in length and an intersecting northeast–southwest runway 3,200 m (10,499 ft) in length. Upon the airport's opening in 1978, only one of the parallel runways was completed (16R/34L, also known as "Runway A"); the other two runways were delayed to avoid aggravating the already tense situation surrounding the airport. The original plan also called for a high-speed rail line, theNarita Shinkansen, to connect the airport to central Tokyo, but this project was also cancelled with only some of the necessary land obtained.[14]
By 1986, the strengtheningJapanese yen was causing a surge of foreign business and leisure travel from Japan, which made Narita's capacity shortage more apparent. However, eight families continued to own slightly less than 53 acres (21 ha) of land on the site that would need to be expropriated in order to complete the other two runways. Although the government could legally force a sale of the land, it elected not to do so "because of fears of more violence."[32] By 1991, Narita was handling 22 million passengers a year, despite only having a design capacity of 13 million.[33]
The exterior of Terminal 2Panorama from inside the Yahoo! Internet Cafe showing the Terminal 2 satellite, ramp control tower and airportshuttle (removed in 2013)During certain times of the day,Mount Fuji andTokyo Skytree are visible when approaching the runway
On 26 November 1986, the airport authority began work on Phase II, a new terminal and runway north of the airport's original main runway.[34] To avoid the problems that plagued the first phase, the Minister of Transport promised in 1991 that the expansion would not involve expropriation.[35] Residents in surrounding regions were compensated for the increased noise-pollution with home upgrades and soundproofing and this improvements continues until to this day.[36][37]
Terminal 2 opened on 4 December 1992,[38] at a cost of $1.36 billion. The new terminal had approximately 1.5 times the space of the older terminal, but its anti-congestion benefits were delayed because of the need to close and renovate much of the older terminal. The airport's land situation also meant that thetaxiway to the new terminal was one-way for much of its length, and that taxi times between the terminal and runway were up to 30 minutes.[33]
The Runway B (16L/34R) opened on 17 April 2002, in time for theWorld Cup events held inKorea and Japan that year. However, its final length of 2,180 m (7,152 ft), much shorter than its original plan length of 2,500 m (8,202 ft), left it too short to accommodateBoeing 747s.[39] The runway was further impeded by a three-story concrete building in the path of its taxiway, which the Union had constructed in 1966, forcing the taxiway to bend inward toward the runway. This imposed restrictions on the number of aircraft that could use the runway, since it was impossible for an aircraft to safely pass through the curve in the taxiway while another aircraft was using the runway.[40] Runway B's limitations were made particularly apparent following the 2009 crash ofFedEx Express Flight 80, which shut down Runway A and forced some heavy aircraft to divert to other airports such as nearbyHaneda Airport.
The Runway B was extended northward to 2,500 meters (8,202 ft) on October 22, 2009,[41] allowing an additional 20,000 flights per year.[42][43] In 2008, the Supreme Court of Japan ruled in favor of the airport authority regarding ownership of Union-occupied land in the path of the taxiway, allowing the taxiway to be modified to provide enough room for safe passing.[40] The building remained in place until August 2011, when authorities removed it under a court order; 500 police officers were dispatched to provide security for the operation while 30 airport opponents protested.[44] Beginning on October 20, 2011, the airport was approved to allow simultaneous landings and take-offs from the A and B runways. The approval allowed the airport to increase annual take offs from 220,000 to 235,000 and increase hourly departure capacity from 32 to 46. The parallel runways are 2.5 km (1.6 mi) apart.[45]
Railway routes between Tokyo and NRT.Narita Express ofJR East is in gray. NewSkyliner route is in purple. The Keisei Main Line is in green
Since its construction, Narita has been criticized for its distance from central Tokyo, with journeys taking an hour by the fastest train and often longer by road due to traffic jams. Narita's distance is even more problematic for residents and businesses in west Tokyo andKanagawa Prefecture, both of which are much closer to Tokyo International Airport (Haneda Airport).[citation needed]
Through the end of the 1980s, Narita Airport's railway station was located fairly far from the terminal, and passengers faced either a long walk or a bus ride (at an additional charge and subject to random security screenings). Transport MinisterShintaro Ishihara, who later served as governor of Tokyo, pressed airport train operators JR East andKeisei Electric Railway to connect their lines directly to the airport's terminals, and opened up the underground station that would have accommodated the Shinkansen for regular train service. Direct train service to Terminal 1 began on 19 March 1991, and the old Narita Airport Station was renamedHigashi-Narita Station.
TheNarita Sky Access Line opened on 17 July 2010, cutting 20 minutes off the travel time. The line's newSkyliner airport limited express services with a maximum speed of 160 km/h (99 mph) are scheduled between Tokyo'sNippori Station andNarita Airport Terminal 2·3 Station in 36 minutes, which compares favorably with other major airports worldwide. A newexpressway, the North Chiba Road, is also under construction along the Narita Rapid Railway corridor. Improvements such as theWangan Expressway also shaved off travel time to Kanagawa Prefecture by bypassing Tokyo.
The Japanese government has also invested in several local infrastructure projects in order to address the demands of airport neighbors. The largest of these is theShibayama Railway, a short railway connection between theKeisei Main Line and the area immediately east of Narita Airport. This line opened in 2002 with government and NAA support after extensive demands from Shibayama residents, and provides a direct rail link from Shibayama to Narita City, Chiba City and central Tokyo. Another such project is the Museum of Aeronautical Sciences in Shibayama Town, which draws tourists and student groups to the area.[46]
A further extension of the Runway B to 3,500 meters (11,483 ft) has been under official consideration since 2014.[47] Permitting for the extension was approved in January 2020.[48] The final plan calls for the runway to be extended to the northwest, and requires a 430-meter (1,410 ft) section of theHigashi-Kanto Expressway to be replaced with a tunnel beneath the runway; construction is scheduled to be complete in fiscal year 2028.[48]
The airport's original master plan also included a planned 3,200 meters (10,499 ft) third "C" runway, which would be a crossing runway south of the passenger terminals. Although the majority of the land and equipment required in order to build the runway are under NAA's ownership, small portions of land needed to be accessed in order to build the runway are still blocked by airport protesters, and areas south of the South Wing of the terminal are being used as aircraft parking and storage. Noise abatement would also be an issue, especially since there are major towns such asYachimata on the planned departure/arrival routes. Noise abatement negotiations would have to be worked through in order to use the runway, otherwise aKai-Tak style approach would be necessary, which is less than favourable. For these following reasons, building work on the third "C" runway was finally aborted.[49]
In March 2018, NAA released a new masterplan for expansion, which included a third "Runway C" on the east side of the airport to be completed by 2028. The new runway will increase the airport's annual slot capacity from 300,000 to 460,000. The runway project will enable the airport to extend the airport's operating hours to cover the period between 0:30 and 5:00 local time. Local authorities agreed to the expansion plan after an 18-month process due to the need for further local revitalization.[50] The final plan, approved in January 2020 and published in December 2021, calls for a 3,500-meter (11,483 ft) runway on the east side of the airport, built over two underground road tunnels, with completion by fiscal year 2028.[48]
In September 2022, NAA announced a conceptual plan to consolidate the three existing terminals into a single facility called "One Terminal."[51] Plans had previously called for a fourth terminal building to be added in conjunction with the construction of Runway C, but due to the aging of the older terminals, NAA opted to plan for the replacement of the older terminals with new structures.[52] The plans also call for a new cargo facility and upgraded transit links to central Tokyo.[53][54]
Narita was among the first airports in the world to align its terminals around the three major internationalairline alliances. Since 2006, the airport has arranged forSkyTeam carriers to use the North Wing of Terminal 1,Star Alliance carriers to use the South Wing of Terminal 1, andOneworld carriers to use Terminal 2. Narita has 83 gates with jet bridges.[55]
Terminal 1 uses asatellite terminal design divided into a North Wing (北ウイング,kita-uingu), Central Building (中央ビル,chūō-biru), and a South Wing (南ウイング,minami-uingu). Two circular satellites, Satellites 1 (gates 11–18) and 2 (gates 21–24), are connected to the North Wing. Satellites 3 and 4 (gates 26–38 and gates 41–47) compose a linear concourse connected to the Central Building. Satellite 5 (gates 51–58) is connected to the South Wing. The terminal building has a floorspace of 463,000 m2 (4,980,000 sq ft) and equipped with 40 gates.[56]
Check-in is processed on the fourth floor, and departures and immigration control are on the third floor. Arriving passengers clear immigration on the second floor, then claim their baggage and clear customs on the first floor. Most shops and restaurants are located on the fourth floor of the Central Building. The South Wing includes a duty-free mall called "Narita Nakamise", one of the largest airport duty-free brand boutique malls in Japan.
The South Wing and Satellite 5 opened in June 2006 as a terminal forStar Alliance carriers. The construction of the South Wing took nearly a decade and more than doubled the floor area of Terminal 1.[55] Today, almost all Star Alliance members, including Japan'sAll Nippon Airways, use this wing, along with non-membersAir Busan,Air Seoul,Scoot,Shandong Airlines, andUzbekistan Airways.[60]
ANA and Peach domestic flights use a separate area of the terminal accessed from the arrivals floor of the South Wing.[60]
Terminal 2, which opened in 1992, is divided into a main building (本館,honkan) and satellite (サテライト,sateraito), both of which are designed around linear concourses. The two were connected by theTerminal 2 Shuttle System, which was designed by Japan Otis Elevator and was the first cable-driven people mover in Japan. A new walkway between the main and satellite buildings began operation on 27 September 2013, and the shuttle system was discontinued.[61] Terminal 2 can handle large aircraft like theAirbus A380 (operated by Emirates) and theBoeing 747-8. Terminal 2 has an area of 391,000 m2 (4,210,000 sq ft) and 32 boarding gates.[56]
Terminal 2 includes a duty-free mall called "Narita 5th Avenue [ja]", the largest duty-free mall in Japan.
For domestic flights, three gates (65, 66, and 67) in the main building are connected to both the main departures concourse and to a separate domestic check-in facility. Passengers connecting between domestic and international flights must exit the gate area, walk to the other check-in area, and then check in for their connecting flight.
Terminal 3, a terminal forlow-cost carriers, opened on 8 April 2015. It is located 500 metres (1,640 ft) north of Terminal 2, where a cargo building used to sit, has a capacity of 50,000 flights per year and has 11 gates. The new terminal incorporates several cost-cutting measures, including using decals instead of lighted directional signs and using outdoor gates andairstairs instead ofjet bridges, which are intended to reduce facility costs for airlines and their passengers by around 40% on international flights and 15% on domestic flights.Taisei Corporation was awarded a ¥11.2 billion contract to build the terminal in January 2013.[63] The airport also constructed a new LCC apron to the north of the terminal, with five additional parking slots forAirbus A320 and similarly sized aircraft.[64]
This section needs to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(October 2025)
Tokyo-Narita International airport passenger destinations (as of December 2022)Swiss Air Lines, United Airlines, Thai Airways at NaritaAerial photograph of Narita International Airport (September 2014)
Busiest domestic routes to and from NRT (2018)[163]
Main control tower, old and new ramp control towers. The middle tower, which served as the airport's main control tower for 25 years from its opening in 1978 until 1993, was occupied and vandalized by protesters on March 26, 1978, contributing to the two-month delay. It was converted into a ramp control tower in 1993, following the construction and opening of a new control tower (left of photo) and was demolished in 2018, transferring ramp control to the new ramp tower (right of photo)
There are three air traffic control towers at Narita. The main control tower and one of the ramp control towers stand on the geographical center of the airport, and another ramp tower is directly above Terminal 2. The main tower is used byJapan Civil Aviation Bureau'sATC, while the ramp towers are used by the NAA officers. The ramp control will be transferred to the new tower in 2020.[167]
The airport is connected by a 47 km (29 mi)pipeline to the port ofChiba City and to a fuel terminal inYotsukaido.[168] The pipeline opened in 1983,[169] and had pumped 130 billion liters of fuel to Narita Airport by its thirtieth anniversary of operations in 2013.[168]
Nippon Cargo Airlines (NCA) has its headquarters on the grounds of Narita Airport,[170][171] in the NCA Line Maintenance Hangar (NCAライン整備ハンガー,NCA Rain Seibi Hangā).[172] Previously NCA had its headquarters on the fourth floor of the Cargo Administration Building (貨物管理ビル,Kamotsu Kanri Biru)).[173][174]
Japan Airlines operates the Japan Airlines Narita Operation Center (日本航空成田オペレーションセンター,Nihon Kōkū Narita Operēshon Sentā) at Narita Airport. The subsidiary airlineJALways once had its headquarters in the building.[175] All Nippon Airways also has a dedicated "Sky Center" operations building adjacent to Terminal 1, which serves as the headquarters of ANA Air Service Tokyo, a ground handling provider that is a joint venture between ANA and the airport authority.
NRT has one on-sitehotel, the Airport Rest House adjacent to Terminal 1. The hotel is operated by TFK, a company that also provides in-flight catering services from an adjacent flight kitchen facility. Acapsule hotel opened adjacent to Terminal 2 in July 2014, in order to serve both transit passengers and passengers on early-morning low-cost carrier flights.[176]
A rapid service train is the suburban JR service to the airport. It follows the same route to Tokyo Station but makes 15 intermediate stops en route, taking 80 min as opposed to the non-stop 55-min Narita Express. From Tokyo Station, most trains continue through theYokosuka Line to Ōfuna,Zushi,Yokosuka andKurihama inKanagawa Prefecture.
"Green Car" (first class) seats are available on both trains for an additional surcharge, with both services free of charge with theJapan Rail Pass.
Keisei operates a number of trains between the airport and Tokyo:Skyliner is the fastest train between the airport and the Yamanote Line.[178] Travel time is 36 min to Nippori and 41 min to Keisei Ueno. Tokyo Station can be reached in 50 min with a transfer to the Yamanote Line. TheSkyliner is one of the cheapest limited express train options between the airport and Tokyo.
Access Express suburban trains run through the Narita Sky Access Line but with intermediate stops en route. A single trip from the airport toNihombashi Station (on theToei Asakusa Line) costs ¥1,330. MostAccess Express trains run toHaneda Airport via theToei Asakusa Line andKeikyu Main Line before 5pm, while after that most services run to Nippori and Keisei Ueno.
Limited Express suburban trains run through the Keisei Main Line. These are the cheapest and slowest trains between Narita and central Tokyo, reaching Nippori in 70–75 min and Keisei Ueno in 75–80 min.
All seats are reserved on the express "Liner" services, while the suburban "Express" services use open seating.
There are regular bus (limousine) services to theTokyo City Air Terminal in 55 minutes, and major hotels and railway stations in the greater Tokyo area in 35–120 minutes. These are often slower than the trains because of traffic jams. The chief operator of these services isAirport Transport Service under the "Friendly Airport Limousine" brand. Other operators includeKeisei Bus, Chiba Kotsu and Narita Airport Transport.[180]
Fixed rate taxi service to Tokyo,Kawasaki,Yokohama,Yokosuka, andMiura is available. Operated by Narita International Airport Taxi Council Members.[181]
Mori Building City Air Service offered ahelicopter charter service between Narita and theArk Hills complex inRoppongi, taking 35 minute and costing 280,000 yen each way for up to five passengers; however, the service was discontinued on December 1, 2015.[182]
Haneda Airport is approximately 1.5–2 hours from Narita Airport by rail or bus. By rail, theKeisei Electric Railway runs direct trains between Narita and Haneda in 101 minutes.[183] TheTokyo Monorail runs from Haneda toHamamatsuchō Station in 15–20 minutes. A short transfer to aJR line train (e.g.Yamanote Line) toTōkyō Station is required to connect to theNarita Express train to Narita airport.[184] There are also direct buses between the airports operated by Airport Limousine Bus. The journey takes 65–85 minutes or longer depending on traffic.[185]
1997:United Airlines Flight 826 experienced clear-air turbulence after leaving Narita en route forHonolulu. Due to injuries sustained by the passengers and crew, the aircraft had to return. Of the 393 people on board, 102 individuals were injured, with 18 of them being serious. One woman on the flight died of her injuries.[187] (not to be confused with the United Airlines Flight 826 accident that occurred in1960)
2003: January 27:All Nippon Airways Flight 908 (operated byAir Japan), aBoeing 767 aircraft arriving fromIncheon International Airport, South Korea, overshot on Runway 16L/34R after landing. The runway was closed overnight due to necessary investigations and repairs. This was the first such incident of overrunning at Narita and an overnight closing to occur at the airport since its opening in 1978.[188]
2008: On 21 September, Air India Flight 307, a Boeing 747-300M (registered VT-EPW nicknamed Shivaji), flying from Tokyo-Narita to Delhi carrying 168 passengers and 14 crew, shut down engine No. 3 after abnormal indication in the instruments. The plane dumped fuel and landed at Tokyo-Narita after declaring emergency. Upon investigation, it was discovered that nozzle guide vanes of the No. 3 engine LPT STG-2 separated and scattered after fracturing due to intergranular corrosion, and this caused the breakage of the nozzle guide vanes and turbine blades of the downstream stages and eventually damaged the engine.[189] The aircraft was repaired and returned to service, but it was withdrawn from use by the end of 2008 and stored.[citation needed]
2009: On March 23,FedEx Express Flight 80, anMD-11 aircraft fromGuangzhou Baiyun International Airport, China, crashed on Runway 16R/34L during landing, killing both the pilot and co-pilot. Runway 16R/34L, which is required for long-distance flights and heavier aircraft, was closed for a full day due to necessary investigations, repairs and removal of wreckage. This was the first fatal airplane crash to occur at the airport since its opening in 1978.[190]
On July 31,Air Canada Flight 5, aBoeing 787–8 (reg: C-GHPV) aircraft fromMontréal-Trudeau International Airport, entered a closed taxiway upon landing on Runway 16L/34R. No injuries were reported on this incident, but the aircraft was stuck for over five hours, as well as the incident resulting in Runway 16L/34R being closed for over 6 hours.[192][193]
An aerial view of the airport, showing the busy operations that take place on a daily basisAt Narita, simultaneous landing is performed to process busy traffic. Here, an ANABoeing 767-300ER is landing on the closer runway while aSkymark AirlinesBoeing 737-800 lands in the background
Complaints over slots and landing fees have plagued the busy airport. Because so many airlines want to use it, the Japanese aviation authorities extend use time for Narita International Airport until midnight, and cut cost by denationalization. In 2004, New Tokyo International Airport Authority (NAA) was privatized and turned into Narita International Airport Corporation (NIAC). Narita's landing fees were once more than double of those ofIncheon International Airport (¥195,000 in November 2012),Changi Airport, andShanghai Pudong International Airport (¥170,000 in November 2012). In 2014, the policy of Open skies was implemented. Airlines can increase or decrease the number of its flights freely, and Narita's landing fees were cut by up to 50%.
In October 2010, Narita announced plans to build a new terminal for low-cost carriers (LCCs) and to offer reduced landing fees for new airline service, in an attempt to maintain its competitiveness against Haneda Airport.
In July 2011, ANA and AirAsia announced that they would form a low-cost carrier subsidiary, AirAsia Japan, based at Narita. Later in 2011, JAL and Jetstar Asia announced a similar low-cost joint venture, Jetstar Japan, to be based at Narita. Skymark Airlines opened a domestic base at Narita in November 2011, and by February 2012 was operating 70 departures per week from NRT. Skymark cited the lower fees at NRT as a key reason for this move. Spring Airlines Japan, an LCC partly owned by Spring Airlines, began service in 2014 with NRT as its primary base.
Narita's restricted hours, congestion and landing fees have caused difficulties for LCCs operating at the airport. On Jetstar Japan's first day of operations in July 2012, a departing flight was delayed on the tarmac for one hour, forcing a cancellation. Less than two weeks later, a departing Jetstar Japan flight from Narita toNew Chitose Airport was significantly delayed such that the return flight to Narita using the same aircraft could not arrive before the 11 PM curfew, forcing another cancellation. LCCs at Narita currently use Terminal 3, which is farthest from Runway A, often requiring a long taxi time.
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^会社概要. Nippon Cargo Airlines. Archived fromthe original on March 10, 2008. RetrievedFebruary 17, 2012.本社（成田事務所）〒282-0011 千葉県成田市成田国際空港内 NCAライン整備ハンガー
^"Corporate ProfileArchived 2008-06-28 at theWayback Machine." Nippon Cargo Airlines. Retrieved on February 17, 2012. "Narita Office NCA Line Maintenance Hangar Narita International Airport Narita-shi, Chiba 282-0011, Japan" and "Tokyo OFfice: Onarimon Yusen Bldg. 11F 3-23-5 Nishi-Shimbashi Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0003, Japan"
^"Corporate Profile." Nippon Cargo Airlines. June 28, 2008. Retrieved on February 17, 2012. "Narita Office: Cargo Administration Bldg. 4F Narita International Airport Narita-shi, Chiba 282-0021, Japan"
^会社概要. Nippon Cargo Airlines. Archived fromthe original on 2008-03-10. RetrievedFebruary 17, 2012."本社（成田事務所） 〒282-0021 千葉県成田市成田国際空港内 貨物管理ビル4階
^"Company Profile".JALways. Archived fromthe original on December 19, 2008. RetrievedDecember 12, 2009.Registered Office 4–11, Higashi-Shinagawa 2-chome, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, Japan; Head Office Japan Airlines Narita Operation Center 3F, Narita International Airport, Narita, Chiba, Japan 282-8610;"Japanese address".Archived from the original on 2009-08-30. Retrieved2010-10-05.Head office:本店所在地 東京都品川区東品川2丁目4番11号; Headquarters:〒282-8610 千葉県成田市成田国際空港内 日本航空成田オペレーションセンター3階
^Tadayuki, Yoshikawa (2018-07-31)."成田のエア・カナダ機、5時間以上立ち往生" [Air Canada flight at Narita stuck for over 5 hours].Aviation Wire (in Japanese).Archived from the original on 2018-07-31. Retrieved2022-12-17.
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