	25/03/2008
“Narita landings/take-offs can be increased by 50%”　　Narita Airport announces

“Narita landings/take-offs can be increased by 50%”
Narita Airport announces

25 March, 2008 – Tokyo: NAA (Narita International Airport Corporation), the owner-operator of Narita Airport, announced today that the current landing/take-off slots of 200,000 per year could be increased by 50% to 300,000.

According to NAA, this will be possible, subject to certain issues being addressed and resolved:
-- Full utilisation of runway capacity by means of adjusting irregular taxiway designs that avoid packets of land not yet purchased;
-- Airspace and air route improvement;
-- Other airport facility enhancement including additional terminal facilities and increased aircraft stands; and
-- Agreement by the local communities and residents based on well informed discussion.

If the above-mentioned issues are fully addressed and the limiting factors are removed, Runway A (4,000 metres) slots could be increased from the present level of 135,000 per year to 150,000, while the slots at Runway B (2,180 metres being extended to 2,500 in 2010) could be increased from 65,000 to 150,000 as well. It would result in a total of 300,000 slots vis-à-vis the present count of 200,000.

The announcement comes in response to a question from a group of leaders from the 9 townships neighbouring the airport: “What would be the potential maximum capacity at Narita Airport in terms of the number of slots, without further extending the runway beyond currently planned length or revising the current airport operation hours?” The leaders have formed a council to inject growth and prosperity in the local communities in conjunction with the growth of Narita Airport as a key airport in the global aviation network.

At the present moment, all previously agreed slots have been used up and, as a result, airlines from as many as 40 countries are put on hold to inaugurate their services to Narita, while a number of other airlines cannot increase their frequencies.

“I hope that we can use all available ways and means at our disposal to increase slots in the coming years, so that any airline wishing to start operating to, or increase its flights, at Narita may do so subject, of course, to the government authorisation,” said Mr. Kosaburo Morinaka, CEO of Narita International Airport Corporation.

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