Departure Rush Starts at Narita Airport with Passenger Numbers Nearing Pre-pandemic Levels

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:10 JST, December 28, 2023

NARITA, Chiba — The first year-end holiday season since the downgrading of COVID-19 has seen departures by tourists traveling abroad on Thursday at Narita Airport in full swing in numbers approaching pre-pandemic levels.

The departure lobby was packed with people with suitcases ahead of the first year-end and New Year period since COVID-19 was downgraded to Class V under the Infectious Diseases Law.

According Narita International Airport Corp. estimates, the number of passengers on international flights from Dec. 22 to Jan. 4 is expected to reach 1,141,900, about 82% of the pre-pandemic level in fiscal 2019.

The company says that flights to resort islands such as Hawaii and Guam and neighboring Asian nations including South Korea and Taiwan are the most popular destinations.