Narita Airport Begins Runway Construction to Double Passenger Capacity by March 2029

On May 25, Narita Airport commenced runway enhancement construction aimed at functional improvements, with Akihiko Tamura, President of Narita International Airport (NAA), and other stakeholders participating in a groundbreaking ceremony.

Narita Airport plans to construct a third runway and extend existing runways by the end of March 2029. Currently, the airport operates two runways: Runway A, with a width of 60 meters and length of 4,000 meters, and Runway B, with a width of 60 meters and length of 2,500 meters. A new Runway C, aligned with the same orientation as the existing runways, will be constructed with a width of 45 meters and a length of 3,500 meters. Furthermore, the existing Runway B will be extended northward by 1,000 meters to a total of 3,500 meters, accommodating large aircraft like the Airbus A380.

Upon completion, Runways B and C will be designated for take-off or landing exclusively, depending on wind direction. Meanwhile, Runway A will continue to be used for both take-offs and landings. The airport will introduce staggered operation times, currently from 6:00 AM to midnight, to 5:00 AM to 12:30 AM.

As a result, the annual take-off and landing slots are expected to increase from 300,000 to 500,000. According to Narita International Airport, if the annual slots reach 500,000, passenger numbers are projected to double to 75 million, and cargo handling to increase by approximately 1.5 times to 3 million tons.

Land acquisition, a key challenge, has progressed to 83% as of the end of March this year. With preparations for full-scale construction complete, work on the main body of Runway B and ground improvement for Runway C began on the 25th.

▲NAA President Akihiko Tamura

NAA President Tamura highlighted, “Global aviation demand will double in the next 20 years. Particularly in the Asia-Pacific region, the growth rate is high, and major airports are advancing facility enhancements.” He emphasized, “Enhancing the functionality of Narita Airport to strengthen the international competitiveness of Japan and the Tokyo metropolitan area, expand the acceptance of inbound tourists, and foster the development of surrounding airport regions is an urgent task.”