Maehara backtracks on Haneda, Narita roles

Thursday 15th October, 05:44 AM JST

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GW at 11:18 AM JST - 15th October

Sorry all you Haneda lovers, like I said it just isnt an easy switch from NRT to HND, lots of operational issuses etc & to the poster who suggested freighters to NRT & PAX to HND, well in case you dont know the bellies of PAX flights carry a lot of cargo, do you really htink airlines want to have duplicate operations at 2 airports.

I realize people want to use HND but the costs wud be huge, if it is even possible which currently HND may have runways but gates/warehouses etc just arent there.

Sorry to disappoint you but NRT is here to stay for the fore seeable future & it isnt a far away as many here paint it to be
Beelzebub at 11:25 AM JST - 15th October

> If you looked at Tokyo's plans for the olympics it worded Haneda as Tokyo International airport.

That is Haneda's correct name. Narita's is "New Tokyo International Airport."
mindovermatter at 11:39 AM JST - 15th October

the poster who suggested freighters to NRT and PAX to HND, well in case you dont know the bellies of PAX flights carry a lot of cargo

This issue isn't dead yet...

This is the old boys network fighting it out to try to hold onto their wallet padding industries..

And BTW: Cargo and PAX flights are two different entities, sure some PAX flts may carry cargo, BUT NO CARGO Flts carry PAX... Simple...
cactusJack at 12:01 PM JST - 15th October

If there is a battle between Haneda and Narita Airport for international flights, who wins? Haneda, of course (if landing fees are similar to Narita). Then Narita Airport becomes a ghost town and too expensive to maintain and it is closed down and a wallet padding industry dies like it should. Now you see the panic.
SebastianFlyte at 12:31 PM JST - 15th October

Narita will go down in history as a folly of the LDP. Built in anticipation of supersonic aircraft which never materialized, it is too far, too expensive, and too inconvenient. If the new Government can't get their act together and stand their ground Japan will lose out in it's hope of becoming an international hub. Arriving in Haneda would be great for those coming to Tokyo and great for those transferring to domestic flights. It is my guess that only ANA, JAL and their respective code-sharers will move to Haneda. Freight, Charters, and low-cost carriers will push Narita's costs down eventually.
Junnama at 12:40 PM JST - 15th October

Agreed - Narita is a terrible airport in an inconvenient location. Japan is already behind the curve vs. Inchoen - time to act....
timorborder at 02:17 PM JST - 15th October

What a joke. I was looking forward to some people in the new administration confronting some of the serious issues that abound, Narita being one of them. Now what is going to happen? Is the minister going to cave in to vested interests without a fight? Is he going to wait a while until Governor Ishihara again starts promoting the idea of using Atsugi in Western Tokyo as an international airport?

Make no mistake, Japan has all these airports that are being seriously underutilized. What is lacking is a sense of political will. In terms of hub facilities, Narita (with its high landing fees and lack of support infrastructure) has been left behind by Inchon in South Korea. Big business such as Fedex has also bypassed Japan and set up operations in China (I believe). Instead of fighting over diminishing returns as the nation becomes more and more marginalized, officials at both a regional and national level in this country need to make some real decisions in terms of what is best for the country.

Indeed, I have a big wish list for the Governor of Chiba Prefecture (the new guy who has already shown himself to be a drama queen). Basically, Chiba needs to stop whining and start considering how it can help make Narita more competitive. It also has to work with the central government to resolve the issue of a second full length runway. After 40 years, isn't it time that the radical rump of landowners who have stopped development be evicted once and for all? Some tax incentives at a local level for airport support services would be good.

Anyway, rather than trying to maintaining the (slowly declining) status quo, something needs to be done to address this whole issue in a very aggressive manner.
hachmike66 at 07:12 PM JST - 15th October

I was just thinking, maybe this was all a stunt by Maehara to force the left over landowners into selling their land so they can make two full length runways. Tell them you are going to move everything to Haneda and their land can go back to rice farming or cow grazing, or whatever the hell they want to do. I don't think there is a lot of money to be made in those fields, so this will pressure them to sell and get what they can for them. Just a thought. Also regarding the distance to Narita, if you are living in Tokyo or one of the surrounding prefectures, sure it isn't far. But if you are coming in from Tohoku or Chubu, and then you have to change trains and sit for another hour, it really sucks.
Yelnats at 07:23 PM JST - 15th October

15 minute tutorial somewhere on this website for knuckleheads who don't know the meaning of "lose" and "loose"?

This is such a funny comment.

Lose your loose underwear might be the simplest way to express it.

Personally, I do not think the dude should have backed down at all. Wimpy
Yelnats at 07:23 PM JST - 15th October

Personally, I do not think the dude should have backed down at all. Wimpy
moonbeams at 09:51 PM JST - 15th October

Moderator: Please learn the difference between loser and looser.

Awesome.
Badge213 at 10:24 PM JST - 15th October

> If you looked at Tokyo's plans for the olympics it worded Haneda as Tokyo International airport.

That is because that is Haneda's official name.

Narita used to be "New Tokyo International Airport" before it was changed to "Narita International Airport"

Just like Itami's official name is "Osaka International Airport"

As for the topic at hand, as mentioned if it is simply a "hub" airport where people are connecting to other areas, then really it doesn't matter where it's located.

Any case with new rail links opening up to Narita Next Year(new fast skyliner), with one connection at Nippori you can get to Narita Airport from Shinjuku in about one hour. From Haneda Airport to Shinjuku takes roughly 50 minutes. Not a major difference in travel time.
bdiego at 02:05 AM JST - 16th October

You can hear the local politicians and shills patting each other on the back for this one.
bdiego at 02:08 AM JST - 16th October

Nobody has ever suggested decomissioning Narita and moving all services to Haneda. That's media shills flat out lying about what other people said, including using sensationalist and dishonest headlines.

The issue boils down to politicians and money backing Narita not wanting Haneda to even be an alternative destination. It cuts into their personal interests. Currently, it only serves very limited routes like South Korea.
GW at 02:54 PM JST - 16th October

Any case with new rail links opening up to Narita Next Year(new fast skyliner), with one connection at Nippori you can get to Narita Airport from Shinjuku in about one hour. From Haneda Airport to Shinjuku takes roughly 50 minutes. Not a major difference in travel time.

badge, thats what I said earlier but many didnt want to hear it haha, HND is only closer for people in south part of Tokyo