Transport Companies See Opportunity in Narita Expansion; Airlines, Railways Prepare to Meet Expected Growth in Demand

By Shodai Niki / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

15:55 JST, February 18, 2026

Major airline and railway companies are now hurrying to plan their responses to the 2029 expansion of Narita airport, which they view as a premier business opportunity.

The expansion is poised to spur an increase in foreign visitors to Japan and growth of global logistical networks, with annual flight slots to and from the airport set to jump from just over 300,000 to 500,000. Businesses are positioning themselves to absorb this growth in demand and translate it into higher earnings.

“We see the expansion of Narita Airport as a business opportunity, and we aim to use it as a chance to increase our short-haul routes in Asia,” Yuji Saito, executive vice president of Japan Airlines Co. (JAL), said during a press conference on financial results on Feb. 3.

On the same day, JAL announced that it will revise the shareholding structure of its Narita-based low-cost carrier (LCC) subsidiary Jetstar Japan Co., which is set to receive investment from the state-backed Development Bank of Japan Inc (DBJ).

Under the current ownership, JAL holds 50% and Australia’s Qantas Airways Ltd. 33.3% of the LCC. However, Qantas is set to exit the company by June 2027, selling its total stake to the DBJ.

The DBJ was previously involved in the restructuring of JAL and Skymark Airlines Inc. following their business failures. The bank aims to leverage this expertise to bolster the profitability of Jetstar Japan.

Under the plan for expanding Narita in 2029, a new 3,500-meter runway will be constructed to join the two existing ones, bringing the total to three. In addition to the new runway construction, one of the two existing runways will be extended from 2,500 meters to 3,500 meters.

Operating hours will be extended to create more takeoff and landing slots, and the construction of a new passenger terminal and consolidation of cargo facilities are also under consideration. This transformation is being hailed as the airport’s “second opening.”

Haneda Airport can no longer add more slots to its schedule and accommodate the influx of international cargo and foreign tourists to the Tokyo metropolitan area.

Koji Shibata, president of ANA Holdings Inc., expressed high expectations for the project: “The expansion of Narita will be our biggest business opportunity over the next five years. From fiscal 2029, we will move into a stage of dramatic growth.”

On Jan. 30, ANA announced that it will seek increase the scale of its international passenger and cargo operations by 30% by fiscal 2030.

The carrier seeks to capture demand from inbound tourists and international cargo between Asia and Western countries while bolstering its highly profitable North American routes.

In autumn 2025, ANA also unveiled a plan to suspend operations by its Narita-based international brand AirJapan in March of this year. The move is intended to boost profitability by reallocating aircraft and personnel to the company’s mainstay, full-service ANA operations.

Discussions are also ongoing of expanding the capacity of the rail lines that serve Narita Airport.

Keisei Electric Railway Co. unveiled a plan on Friday to boost the frequency of its services. The project involves turning single-track sections near the airport into doubles and expanding some double-track segments to quadruple tracks.

The inability of trains to pass one another on single-track sections has been a bottleneck to boosting transport capacity.

“Narita Airport will play an even greater role as Japan moves to bolster its standing as a tourism-oriented country,” said J. F. Oberlin University Professor Hajime Tozaki.

“It is essential for the public and private sectors to cooperate in balancing the demand for passengers and cargo with transport capacity to central Tokyo,” he said.