Narita Airport's 3rd runway to be built by end-March 2029
Japan's Narita International Airport on Sunday marked the start of full construction work to enhance its functions, including the addition of a third runway to be completed by the end of March 2029.
As a result, the airport in Narita, Chiba Prefecture, near 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 number at the two gateways to the Japanese capital would reach one million.
In the 670-billion-yen project, a 3,500-meter runway will be built, while 2,500-meter Runway B will be extended by 1,000 metres.
The total land area of the airport will increase by 1,099 hectares, almost double the current size. The airport operator has secured 83 pct 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 Corp. President Akihiko Tamura said at a ceremony marking the start of the full-scale construction held at the airport.
"It is an urgent task to further strengthen our functions to enhance the international competitiveness of the country and the Tokyo metropolitan area, receive more foreign tourists and develop areas around the airport," he added.
[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
