Narita Airport eyes completion of 3rd runway by end-March 2029
Narita International Airport on Sunday marked the start of full construction work to expand its capacity, including the addition of a third runway to be completed by the end of March 2029.
As a result, the airport in Chiba Prefecture, which services Tokyo, will see the number of its annual landing and takeoff slots jump to 500,000 from the current 300,000.
Including slots at Tokyo's Haneda Airport, the combined annual flights at the two main airports serving the capital will reach 1 million.
As part of the ¥670-billion project, a 3,500-meter runway will be built while the 2,500-meter Runway B will be extended by 1,000 meters.
The total land area of the airport will increase by 1,099 hectares, almost double the current size. The airport operator has secured 83% of the land needed for the expansion and plans to accelerate land acquisition this fiscal year through March 2026.
"Global demand for air travel will double in the next 20 years. 'The Asia-Pacific region is growing fastest among all regions,' Narita International Airport President Akihiko Tamura said at a ceremony marking the start of full-scale construction at the airport.
"It is urgent that we strengthen our capabilities to boost Japan's and Tokyo's international competitiveness, attract more foreign tourists, and promote development around the airport," he added,
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yomiuri Shimbun
an hour ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Japanese Cattle Rancher in Hokkaido Commercializes Frozen Milk, Plans to Export to Other Asian Countries
The Yomiuri Shimbun Toshifumi Suzuki of Suzuki Farm shows bottles of frozen milk in Hiroo, Hokkaido, in April. A cattle ranch has commercialized 'frozen milk' in Hokkaido, the kingdom of Japan's dairy products, and is expanding its sales channels. Though freezing milk typically makes for an unpleasant taste once thawed, making use of flash-freezing technology has been a game-changer. Freshness and flavor are not lost even after thawing, and the expiration date can be extended to about half a year compared to the one to two weeks when refrigerated. The cattle ranch plans to export the product to other Asian countries. 'Trustworthiness and branding power of 'made in Hokkaido' products are great. I believe there is demand from high-income consumers,' said Toshifumi Suzuki, 43, who keeps about 90 dairy cows in Hiroo, Hokkaido. The town is in the Tokachi area, where dairy farms are prosperous. Suzuki Farm, where he works, was established by his great-grandfather. When he began working there, the cows were fed enriched feeds made mainly with corn and artificial supplements. However, the cows repeatedly contracted infectious diseases. In 2010, he changed the ranch's feeding, believing the cows would be healthier if they were raised in an environment closer to nature. Once switching exclusively to organic grass, the cows became ill less often and the taste of their milk improved drastically. In summer last year, he was hit with the idea of commercializing frozen milk upon learning about machines that freeze meat and fish extremely quickly to preserve freshness. The machines are developed by Technican Co., a Yokohama-based freezer manufacturer. The process involves immersing food containers in a liquid at minus 30 C, freezing it instantly without causing cell breakdown. Surely, Suzuki thought, the same process serving to preserve the freshness of food could be applied to milk? Usually, thawing milk causes proteins and fats to separate, giving it a rough texture. Therefore, the Tokyo-based Japan Dairy Industry Association does not recommend freezing milk. However, when Suzuki experimented using the quick-freezing method, it was confirmed that freshness and flavor were not lost even after thawing. After an evaluation by a third-party inspection body, Suzuki began selling frozen milk with a six-month expiration period in summer last year. A 180-milliliter bottle of the frozen milk is priced at ¥700, including tax. As it can be enjoyed without worrying about best-by dates, the milk is popular as a thank-you gift under the furusato nozei hometown tax donation system, in which people donate money to local governments of their choice in return for income tax deductions. Also, since it is unlikely that leftover milk will need to be disposed, some customers buy the frozen milk for dairy product events. Suzuki Farm plans to begin exporting to Singapore and Thailand in autumn. 'I want people all over the world to know the true taste of milk beyond the barrier of best-by dates,' Suzuki said. Another cattle ranch in the area sells flash-frozen milk from cows raised exclusively on pasture grass, of which a 180-milliliter bottle is priced at ¥540, including tax. Miyaji Bokujo ranch in Shimizu, Hokkaido, has shipped its frozen milk to a milk shop in New Chitose Airport and a Fukuoka supermarket.
Japan Today
an hour ago
- Japan Today
Japan, EU eye launch of 'competitive alliance' scheme to boost trade
Japan and the European Union are preparing to launch an "alliance" framework to beef up their companies' competitiveness by promoting trade and economic security cooperation, diplomatic sources said Saturday, facing concerns over U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs and Chinese trade practices. The creation of the "Japan-EU Competitiveness Alliance" is expected to be announced at a regular summit meeting being arranged for July, when Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is likely to host European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, they said. The move will further align both sides' efforts to uphold a rules-based economic order, building on cooperation through a free trade agreement that removes tariffs and other trade barriers between the two economies, which account for 20 percent of the world's gross domestic product. Under the framework, Japan and the EU will work together to diversify supply chains for rare earth minerals in the face of China's export restrictions on the elements crucial for the production of smartphones and other high-tech products, according to the sources. They will also align subsidy conditions for environmental technology such as electric vehicle and hydrogen production to promote fair competition for manufacturers and reduce development costs. On the trade front, the two sides will seek to promote reform of the World Trade Organization that is deemed dysfunctional, with the United States dissatisfied with the global body's response to addressing Chinese trade practices and other issues. They will also seek to collaborate with the "Global South" emerging and developing economies as partners sharing values of free and fair trade as well as the rule of law, the sources said. The EU is also eager to cooperate with a vast trans-Pacific free trade agreement involving Japan and 10 other nations, plus Britain that joined the accord in 2023. Some inside the bloc have called for joining efforts in rulemaking, as members of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership weigh better business environment for digital trade and climate change countermeasures. © KYODO
Japan Times
10 hours ago
- Japan Times
Ishiba vows to set up council for regional revitalization
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Saturday that he plans to establish a council tasked with helping promote regional revitalization led by the private sector. He hopes to include the plan, unveiled in talks with reporters during his visit to Maebashi, the capital of Gunma Prefecture, in a basic concept of his signature "Regional Revitalization 2.0" program. The envisaged council will be directly supervised by Ishiba. The basic concept is expected to be compiled this summer. "We'll consider the possibility of revising related laws while learning from the efforts being made in Maebashi" in order to help accelerate community building through public-private cooperation, Ishiba said. In Maebashi, Ishiba visited Jins Park, a regional interaction hub, which also includes an eyeglasses store. At the complex, set up by glasses chain Jins Holdings, the prime minister tried on Jins brand glasses and tasted pastries sold at the facility. He smiled and said, "This is a very nice facility." Jins Holdings has built a new office in Maebashi, using the government's tax incentive program designed to facilitate business relocations to rural areas as part of regional revitalization. Ishiba also held talks with Jins founder Hitoshi Tanaka and others, and visited a shopping district in the city.
