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Narita and Okinawa prepare for infrastructure lift
November 29th 2019
Narita receives high-speed exit taxiways and Okinawa a second runway. Read More »
Narita International Airport expects to start using a revamped runway taxiway system from December 5. The project has re-configured seven high-speed exit taxiways, with most of them on runway A, the airport’s longest runway.
Benefits are at both macro and micro levels. Aircraft will be able to exit the runway faster and have a shorter taxi time. Reduced runway occupation time means overall efficiency improvements will help Narita increase hourly movements from 68 to 72 next year.
The previous taxiway system dates back to the 1970s and had ground maneuvering characteristics of a generation of aircraft no longer used. This led to newer aircraft having extended runway exits as they taxied longer to the next available taxiway exit.
Okinawa Naha meanwhile will commence use of its second runway on March 26, 2020. It is 2700m x 60m, making it slightly shorter but wider than Naha’s current runway measurements of 3000m x 45m. Annual movements will increase from 135,000 to 240,000.
