Airlines jostle to get on board revamped Haneda

With plans to return Haneda's Tokyo International Airport to full international operations from autumn 2010, airlines are competing fiercely for the additional landing slots on offer.

A fourth runway at Haneda is scheduled to open from autumn 2010, and officials at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism have set out two main pillars in their plan to use Haneda as an international airport.

First, new slots will be made available for up to 30,000 yearly daytime flights to and from Asian destinations relatively close to Japan. In addition, up to 30,000 yearly flights to and from farther destinations, including Europe and the United States, will be accommodated, with takeoffs and landings during the late night and early morning hours when Narita is closed.

A few flights already take off from Haneda to Seoul, Shanghai and Hong Kong. In 2001, international charter flights began in the late-night to early-morning hours. From 2003, these were upgraded to regular charter flights.

These charter flights will likely become regular routes once the fourth runway opens in October 2010.

Previously, government policy kept international flights concentrated at Narita, and domestic flights at Haneda, meaning it was not possible to use both airports for around-the-clock international flights.

A senior transport ministry official said opening the runway was one of the ministry's key goals. "That will mean the birth of a 24-hour airport in the Tokyo metropolitan area that uses two networks," the official said.

Narita will also see an increase of 20,000 flights per year due to an extension of one of its runways in 2010.

Ever since opening 30 years ago as a replacement international airport for Haneda, Narita has been embroiled in protest movements. Demonstrators staged protest actions during construction, and residents of Chiba Prefecture, where Narita is located, have also endured 30 years of noise pollution.

Given this troubled history, the government could not simply declare that all international flights would return to Haneda.

Now, however, increased competition has forced officials to rethink their position. The opening of 24-hour airports in South Korea and Singapore raised concerns among politicians and businessmen that Japan would fall behind regional rivals.

Under pressure, government officials reversed their position in May 2007 and set out plans to return international flights to Haneda under an Asian gateway project.

And airlines are eagerly awaiting the move.

Mineo Yamamoto, president of All Nippon Airways Co., said Haneda should have more daytime international flights.

ANA still lags behind rival Japan Airlines Corp., operating about a third of the number of international flights run by JAL. For this reason, ANA executives are hoping to play catch-up at Haneda.

Meanwhile, JAL is also hoping to gain from Haneda's expansion.

"It will be a boost for us, because we can expect to develop demand by business travelers from Haneda," said Haruka Nishimatsu, JAL president.

JAL also has a strong desire to increase flights from Haneda on its main domestic routes.

Among the additional slots available on the new runway, about 80,000 flights have not yet been assigned as either domestic or international. JAL and ANA are sure to compete fiercely over this decision.

This summer, the transport ministry also plans to begin talks with foreign airlines about their plans for Haneda. Based on those talks, the ministry will decide how to distribute routes out of Haneda, a decision that will affect not only airlines, but also the fate of the two airports.

The Tokyo metropolitan government has taken the lead in the move to increase international flights out of Haneda.

In particular, Shintaro Ishihara has argued for the advantages of Haneda since becoming Tokyo governor in 1999. He has persistently lobbied the central government and ruling Liberal Democratic Party for a policy change to allow more international flights out of Haneda.

Vice Governor Naoki Inose, who is now leading such negotiations, said he hoped to create a win-win situation for Narita and Haneda.

"There are about 40 nations that still want slots at Narita," Inose said. "In addition, for the eastern part of Tokyo, Narita is actually closer."

Chiba Governor Akiko Domoto has also reluctantly accepted more international flights out of Haneda, despite some people in Chiba Prefecture expressing concern about Narita losing its standing through such a move.

Moreover, other local governments are also expressing concerns about the effects of a rise in international flights from Haneda.

If increased international flights at Haneda limit the number of domestic flights available, that would hamper access to Haneda from regional airports.

And Akita Governor Sukeshiro Terata highlights another potential problem for regional airports from a revamped international service out of Haneda.

"Such a move would have devastating effects on international flights out of regional airports," Terata said.(IHT/Asahi: July 10,2008)