In October 2022, a committee consisting of Tokyo Narita Airport’s operator Narita International Airport Corporation, Japan’s transport ministry, and other stakeholders started reviewing concepts for “New Narita Airport,” an expansion project, which would also involve the consolidation of the airport’s existing terminals into one.
On July 3, 2024, approximately a month after the committees ninth meeting, Narita International Airport Corporation released a summary of the committees findings, which will serve as the basis for further planning of the project.
While the committee considered multiple layout options for the new consolidated terminal ranging from having a main terminal with multiple satellites to a terminal with a larger number of short piers, it is ultimately proceeding with studying further a layout consisting of a central terminal with a small number of long piers. According to the committees assessment, the layout should be the most cost efficient and the least taxing on the environment.
Prior to consolidating the terminals into the new terminal, take-off and landing capacity will be expanded by building a new runway, which is expected to be operational by March 2029.
The entire project, which also includes the development of a new cargo area among other things is expected to be completed in the 2040s. While the transition will be gradual, once complete, Narita Airport is expected to be able to handle 500,000 runway movements per year as opposed to the current 340,000. Its passenger capacity is expected to increase from 57 million to 75 million, and its cargo capacity from 2.4 million tons to 3.5 million tons.
