Number of Narita Airport Users Hits Record High in 2015

Narita, Chiba Pref., Jan. 21 (Jiji Press)--The number of domestic and international flight passengers using Narita International Airport near Tokyo in 2015 hit a record high for the second consecutive year, the airport's operator said Thursday. The figure increased 5 pct from the previous year to 37.32 million, reflecting a surge in the number of visitors to Japan and an increase in domestic flights operated by low-cost carriers, according to Narita International Airport Corp. The number of international flight passengers rose 3 pct to 30.6 million thanks to an expansion of new routes. In 2014, the international flight passenger figure was down from the preceding year, affected by an increase in international flights at its rival Tokyo International Airport at Haneda. Of them, the number of Japanese passengers fell 8 pct to 13.07 million, while that of foreign passengers jumped 23 pct to 12.49 million. Transit passenger numbers decreased 6 pct to 5.02 million. Meanwhile, the number of domestic flight passengers increased 13 pct to 6.72 million, hitting a record high for the sixth consecutive year. The total number of flight arrivals and departures grew one pct to 232,182, marking a record high for the fourth consecutive year. END