Narita Airport Counts Over 20 Million Total Non-Japanese Passengers on International Flights in 2024 for 1st Time Ever

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:40 JST, February 2, 2025

NARITA, Chiba — The total number of non-Japanese passengers aboard international flights arriving at and departing from Narita Airport near Tokyo exceeded 20 million in 2024 for the first time since its opening in 1978, according to Narita International Airport Corp. (NAA).

The increase is believed to be due to the growing demand from overseas visitors to Japan, largely prompted by the weak yen.

The total number of passengers on domestic and international flights increased 22% from 2023 to 39,807,651, recovering to 90% of 44,344,739 — the record high marked in 2019, according to the airport traffic statistics released Thursday by NAA that operates the airport in Narita, Chiba Prefecture.

Of the total number, passengers on international flights totaled 32,205,839, up 29% from the previous year and 88% of the number in 2019. Non-Japanese passengers totaled 21,793,034, up 36% from the previous year and up 20% from 2019.

Japanese passengers on international flights totaled 7,949,711, up 31% from the previous year, but only 54% of the 2019 figure. The amount of Japanese going abroad has remained stagnant.

While overseas travel demand has remained sluggish, domestic passenger volume was 7,601,812, marking the third-highest figure on record.

“With the yen weakening to the level of ¥150 to the dollar, it is worthwhile for overseas travelers to come to Japan, but for Japanese people, it has become more difficult to travel abroad,” said NAA President Akihiko Tamura.

The number of aircraft arriving at and departing from the airport increased 15% from the previous year to 242,071, or 92% of the 2019 volume.

Of them, international flights recovered to 91% of the 2019 volume to 190,978, up 20% from the previous year. Of them, passenger flights were up 26% from the previous year, while cargo flights were down 4% from the previous year, but still 24% higher than in 2019.

International cargo volume was up 4% from the previous year to 1,945,795 tons, exceeding the previous year’s amount for the first time in three years.