Haneda Airport doubles number of international flights

Definitely good news and long overdue. Many major world cities (in 1st world countries) have 2 or even 3 airports serving them. In most cases they are 24 hours and have always served both int'l and domestic flights. For a lot of people Narita is a pain in the arse to get to.

Yes Narita is a pain but the city of Narita and the train companies did their best to not allow Haneda to fly international. Not for the consumer's sake of course, but to keep lining their own pockets with money that was not needed to spend to go all the way out to Narita.

Now if only the price of tickets would come down, more people would fly, but I don't see that happening. With the number of mergers in the airline industry, there is not enough competition these days.

It seems you currently need to pay a premium price on your tickets for the privilege of flying out of Haneda. The only competitively priced Haneda tickets I've found are the ones that leave during hours when the trains aren't running!! Kinda defeats the "convenience" argument, I'd say.

Unless this changes, I'm not particularly excited or affected by this news.

Anyway, the Olympics last 3 weeks, right? Is this expansion, including acquiring new fleets of airliners, really warranted?

I wish flights to Australia would leave from Haneda.

OK. Now how about some nonstop flights to JFK from Haneda during the week?

Good news for a change. I know many international flights started to appear while the SDP was in charge. Hopefully these will continue ... Japan shot itself in the foot with this "Narita monopoly" and now Incheon Int'l Airport has become the defacto hub for most of Japan.

basically the prices are the same from narita and haneda. the only benefit is the time saved getting to the airport. but even though it'll take longer, i like being able to get a seat, relax, and buy a beer from the trolley lady on the n'ex. to me, that signals the start of my trip.

I finally used Haneda Airport for international travel this year and I live in Ota-ku. Talk about a breath of fresh air from making the long slog to Narita. I hope they expand daytime flights to include more long haul destinations as the current crop is meager.

I had a flight out of Haneda last summer. Despite living very central ( Yoyogi Park vicinity ), it's not as easy to get to as you may think sometimes. I had to use 3 different train lines and overall I got there in about 10-15 mins earlier than a trip to Narita. On trips to Narita with heavy luggage, I just take a short taxi ride to Shibuya station, hop on the NEX, stow my luggage and just wait it out. Trips to Haneda with heavy luggage....I'm not so sure I'll go that route anymore. Still, first world problems eh?

Agree Haneda can be worse than Narita depending your starting location. For me in western Tokyo, take Chuo line to Shinjuku or Tokyo station and hop onto NEX. Haneda is a few transfers in busy station s = a pain and not much faster if at all.

From Sendai I often used to fly Sendai - Narita - Somewhere. Now that's not possible as there are no flights from Sendai to Haneda. To get the flight from Haneda to London I would have to take the 6:36 am Shinkansen from Sendai then struggle on the rush hour trains with my luggage trying to get from Tokyo to Haneda. After all that I can look forward to 12 hours in a cramped aeroplane. Even the thought of it fills me with dread. Maybe I should just stay here?

good job, now how about actually creating a transportation route to and from ?

Take the Keisei Bus (blue) from Tokyo Station to Narita and back (if it suits you). Faster than many trains and only 900yen one way.

I have used Haneda a few times now to fly overseas, and its proven to be much more convenient in terms of accessibility and flight times. The red-eye to LA is awesome, and my jet lag isn't as nearly as bad as flying on the evening flight out of Narita.

However, having said this, I don't quite get that pre-trip giddiness when using Haneda, compared to using Narita. I guess that you lose the anticipation of taking an international flight when the airport is only 20-30 minutes away as opposed to 90 minutes away. So in a way, I still kind of prefer taking Narita, because it feels more like I am taking a trip overseas than using Haneda does...

No joy paying premium for Haneda unless on a business trip, Narita's additional 60-90 mins is fine, more airlines to choose from and you have time to relax..

http://centreforaviation.com/analysis/airlines-charging-a-premium-for-services-from-tokyo-haneda-airport-59562

The only competitively priced Haneda tickets I've found are the ones that leave during hours when the trains aren't running!! Kinda defeats the "convenience" argument, I'd say.

Less of a problem for those who are coming from other airports in Japan and don't want to spend the night in Tokyo.

Marital was set up as Tokyo's international airport and there are many businesses relying on it remaining the international airport. Haneda may be more convenient, but more international flights will turn Narita into a commercial dessert. I've worked with many people that have businesses at Narita and they are struggling due to the loss of international travellers. Handed a cannot handle the bulk of international flights and that is why Narita was built. If they continue to divert flights to Haneda all the duty free shops in Narita will have to close. Transport to Narita is not so inconvenient. There are many options and they are not too expensive. Transport to Haneda is very inconvenient to due a lack of options. To my knowledge there is only the monorail and a subway that goes to Haneda, plus buses, of course.

I don't know why people complain about Narita being far - it's 36m from the Yamanote line on Keisei. That's pretty convenient. It's hard to get to Haneda that fast by train, honestly.

Unless I can get a direct bus to Haneda (which is of course dependent on traffic) I would prefer the trip to Narita, honestly. Just hop on a Skyliner or NeX and relax. The Haneda International terminal is pretty nice, though.

I can get to Haneda in 15 minutes. It takes an hour longer than that to get to Narita, and costs 10x as much. No thanks to Narita for me. I love being able to fly out of Haneda most of the time now.

I can get to Haneda in 15 minutes. It takes an hour longer than that to get to Narita, and costs 10x as much.

10x as much? Come on. It's 2000 yen on the Skyliner.

If you live 15m from Haneda, of course Haneda is going to be more convenient for you. Not many people live in that part of town, though, and for the rest of us Narita is just as convenient.

Get ready for jacked up prices, peeps! Convenience has cost, especially when the stated purpose is to replace Incheon, which it never could, as the hub of Asia. How will landing costs rank, I wonder? As that will directly affect international flights. as for ANA rushing to buy the world's biggest order of planes, did they learn nothing from the world's biggest grounding of Dreamliners?

Haneda's great until you have to transfer from a domestic to an international flight. There's little information or signage telling you how to use their confusing inter-terminal bus system. The buses go to different terminals, but they look almost identical and use the same stops. And they certainly aren't suitable for carrying large suitcases.

They should have an international transit check-in counter in the domestic terminal, and vice versa.

Not many people live in that part of town, though, and for the rest of us Narita is just as convenient.

What?...I think you've got that mixed up. Kawasaki, Shinagawa, and Yokohama are within 20 minutes drive of Haneda (depending on where you live). A LOT of people live in those areas. Narita is only convenient for people who live in Chiba or its outskirts. Far from convenient for central and western Tokyo or Kanagawa people.

I think it's more about train and bus connections Mirai. I live pretty close to Shibuya station but the NEX leaving from Shibuya was a lot easier than hauling my luggage through 2 different busy stations to get to Haneda.

10x as much? Come on. It's 2000 yen on the Skyliner.

It costs me about 300 to get to Haneda and 3000 to get to Narita using the Narita express. Maybe not a big deal to you, but I leave the country at least once a month, so it's around 70,000/year in savings.

I find NEX to be far from convenient. I never take that train. If you have full size suitcases, its not particularly fun to lug them up several flights up from the underground NEX station to the departure terminal which is like on the 4th floor at NRT. Same with Skyliner....Ueno, and Nippori? Really? What horrible places to have to transfer.

The airport bus is only 800 yen to Haneda from where I live, and drops you off right at the curb and you can stroll right into the terminal. No escalators, elevators , or stairs. Besides, Haneda is within reasonable taxi fair distance from central Tokyo. Narita, you'll be paying upwards of 30,000 or more.　　To go to NRT on the same bus line is 3500...quite a difference

No one has answered my questions about the landing costs. If the landing costs go up as a result of construction to try and make Haneda the hub of Asia while Narita fights tooth and nail for the same status, no one is going to land there outside of Japanese airliners. We saw the same thing with Kansai Airport when they decided to build the second runway despite ALL international airlines being against it (in the survey they later ignored after the result). There are no more direct flights to Canada and many other nations because costs of landing sky-rocketed and airlines pulled out and moved to Thailand or Incheon if they weren't already there.

Will this benefit Japan, is the question? Or is pride getting in the way again? Maehara was the champion behind this thing several years and about 6 Prime Ministers back. Will ensuring Japan has the top three most expensive landing costs in the world, and top 4 or more out of 10, be the legacy people are hoping for?

Lots of different airlines are using Haneda.

It costs me about 300 to get to Haneda and 3000 to get to Narita using the Narita express.

Yes, it costs YOU this, because you live by that airport. If you are on the east or north side of town, Narita is more convenient, and if you are on the west side nothing is convenient.

And the Keisei is a lot cheaper than the 3000 the Nex costs. I normally use the Sky Access which is only 1000 or so, and doesn't take so long.

@Mrinjp

Great link you posted, but it's 3 years old. Is this still the case? Every article on this topic should carry this info.

live pretty close to Shibuya station but the NEX leaving from Shibuya was a lot easier than hauling my luggage through 2 different busy stations to get to Haneda.

You do know that there is a bus from Shuibuya that'll take you Haneda in about 30 minutes and for only like 1000JPY.

NEX takes twice as a long, costs 500 yen more, and drops you off 7 stories below the departure terminal....I don't see how this is easier when you're hauling luggage.

You do know that there is a bus from Shuibuya that'll take you Haneda in about 30 minutes and for only like 1000JPY.

There is? Good news if so.

Now if only more flights from Haneda went to where I need to go and were equal in price to Narita's.

NEX takes twice as a long, costs 500 yen more, and drops you off 7 stories below the departure terminal....I don't see how this is easier when you're hauling luggage.

There's this thing called an "elevator" that whisks you right to the departure lobby. It's super easy. I use it all the time.

There's this thing called an "elevator" that whisks you right to the departure lobby. It's super easy. I use it all the time.

Sure, if want to wait 10 minutes to come down to get you and your many bags, and cram aboard with 10 other people and their many bags. I'd prefer to be put right at departure terminal level where there are no such barriers.

There is? Good news if so.

yes there is, and I think it beats having to ride any train for an hour.

Now if only more flights from Haneda went to where I need to go and were equal in price to Narita's.

That will happen with time. With Tokyo 2020 coming up, and and more people lobbying for better access to a closer airport, its inevitable. Also HND had potential to handle twice the traffic that NRT can handle. HND has 4 runways and more room to expand, whereas NRT has only 2, and won't be able expand because the neighboring land is privately owned farm land.