Haneda Airport Terminal 2 to Open to Intl Flights again

Yomiuri Shimbun file photo
Airplanes are seen at Haneda Airport in Tokyo in February.

TOKYO (Jiji Press) — Tokyo International Airport at Haneda will reopen the facility for international flights at Terminal 2 on Wednesday after over three years, allowing flights connecting Japan with Taipei and three other locations.

Ahead of the reopening, All Nippon Airways on Thursday took the press for a tour of its check-in counters and lounges in the Terminal 2 facility.

The carrier will operate five passenger flights on the four routes, also including the Haneda-London route, from Terminal 2, moving them from Terminal 3.

Terminal 2 had been reserved for domestic flights until the facility opened in late March 2020 to accommodate the airport’s increased international flight slots.

The facility, however, was closed down in just two weeks due to a worldwide plunge in travel demand brought on by the spread of COVID-19.

All international flights arriving at or departing from Haneda, including those of ANA, are currently operating from Terminal 3.

“We hope to provide our passengers with an enjoyable air travel experience at the new facility,” an ANA official said.

The number of visitors to Japan is recovering especially after the government removed coronavirus-related border control measures.

The number of international flights operated by ANA in May this year was around 60% that of 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic.

On the other hand, recovery in demand from people traveling overseas from Japan has been slow, weighed down by a weaker yen.

ANA plans to gradually increase the number of flights. But it may take time until the company sees a full recovery in international flights.