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Gov't to allow more flights over Tokyo as Haneda slots increase

17 Comments

As the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics approach, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism plans to alter flight routes and times to Haneda Airport in order to accommodate more flights to and from the airport.

The ministry is also planning on extending the time planes are allowed to fly through the airspace over Shinagawa, Ota, Edogawa and Koto wards, by four hours in the evening, Sankei Shimbun reported.

Furthermore, the ministry plans to increase the number of annual departures and landings from the current 90,000 to 129,000 by 2020.

However, voices of opposition have begun flooding in from residents living around the airport as the increased number of flights will also mean elevated levels of noise. The ministry hosted a meeting last week in Edogawa Ward to explain the new routes and flight times.

Up until this point, airspace over the city center has been off limits to plane travel, requiring aircraft to approach Haneda over Tokyo Bay and Chiba Prefecture. The new flight routes will go into effect from mid-September.

Most of the extra slots at Haneda are expected to go to foreign airlines, a transport ministry official said.

A total of five new runways are scheduled to be built at both Haneda and Narita to accommodate more flights in the future.

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17 Comments
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Makes sense to use Haneda more

7 ( +7 / -0 )

More runways, more flights.....please tell me this will make flying to Tokyo cheaper?

6 ( +7 / -1 )

It's not the planes that are a noise problem in central Tokyo, it's the helicopters, especially for people living in northern Shibuya or southern Shinjuku.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

How about creating at least...at least one more area for buying bus tickets out of Haneda. There is only one line, and it is not marked well, and it is blocked by non-English speaking people standing with tons of bags...as there are no i ternational signs at all.

Put more desks for bus ticketing please. Narita could use more than two also, but Haneda only has one. Shameful

4 ( +4 / -0 )

I think it will be better for the economy of Japan to get more tourists into Japan... Plane tickets never really significantly change in price... Baring world changing events like 9/11

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Why not? Tokyo is unique in being one of the world's major cities with virtually no air traffic. Of course, the increased flights will come at a premium and be limited to flights from just a handful of cities.

Even in crowded Tokyo there aren't all that many people living near Haneda compared to the residential areas affected by airports elsewhere in the world.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

A total of five new runways are scheduled to be built at both Haneda and Narita to accommodate more flights in the future.

REALLY?!? Currently Haneda has 4 full runways in operation and Narita has 1.5 runways in operation so unless they plan to wage war on the people living and still holding onto those little islands of property surrounded by taxi ways and bits of the uncompleted 2nd full runway at Narita, I'm guessing the lion's share of new runways will be added to Haneda.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

The new civilian airliners are extremely quiet. Street noise is much more disturbing, especially those small motorcycles. As for pollution the latest generation is a real improvement.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

I would rather fly into Kansai and then to Okinawa.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Ha, currently Chiba sees most of the traffic going into Haneda through Tokyo Bay, around Aqualine-Umihotaru, and trust me, it's a lot... Not very noisy, but very often ;) . Having parts of it routed over Tokyo would bring a bit of relief, but it's obviously more dangerous. On the other hand, there are many small landing strips that can serve as backup in case of emergency in Tokyo, one thing both Chiba and Tokyo Bay can't offer.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Not to mention the record global temperatures this year so let's .....pumping out more and more and more CO2 until we boil to death......,,,,,

0 ( +2 / -2 )

More channels to burn (dirty) fossil fuels. More to companies, less for local communities.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Lucky japan doesn't have typhoons, and money isn't a major motivating factor, otherwise...

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

yeah! More planes flying over my house til after midnight!

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

No one wants this, it's all about the Yen

-4 ( +2 / -6 )

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