Inside £1bn airport named one of world's busiest and it's not Heathrow

Significant maturation successful rider volumes has required this airdrome to put billions of pounds successful caller improvement projects

Heathrow held its presumption arsenic the busiest airdrome successful Europe successful 2024, and looks connected way to bash the aforesaid with “Billion Dollar” routes similar New York JFK to Heathrow inactive 1 of the astir fashionable formation routes successful the world.

However, 2025 is poised to spot caller question demands origin a displacement successful the world’s busiest formation paths and airports. In particular, flights and airports successful Asia are rising successful rider volumes. In information past year, 2 of the busiest formation paths successful the satellite were successful Asia: Hong Kong to Taipei ranking archetypal busiest and Seoul Incheon to Tokyo Narita ranking 3rd busiest. According to OAC, the aviation information consultancy group, Asia question volition lone proceed to emergence arsenic the portion continues its post-pandemic recovery.

That said, it’s nary astonishment that 1 of the busiest airports successful the satellite (even surpassing Heathrow) is based successful Asia.

Tokyo International (Haneda) Airport was the 3rd busiest airdrome successful the satellite successful 2024, according to OAG. Haneda held its 3rd spot presumption from 2023, falling down Dubai International Airport and Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport which ranked archetypal and second. In the aforesaid database of OAG’s Top 10 Busiest Global Airports by Seats, Heathrow came successful astatine 5th place.

It should beryllium noted that OAG’s database of Top 10 Busiest Global Airports is calculated utilizing full frequence information for some home and planetary flights. When ranked by frequence information for planetary flights alone, Heathrow came successful astatine the 2nd busiest airdrome successful the satellite past year.

Nevertheless, 2024 was a engaged twelvemonth for Haneda airport, with 4.2 cardinal seats. Tokyo has 2 planetary airports: Haneda airdrome and Narita airport. Of the two, Haneda is located person to downtown Tokyo portion Narita is located overmuch farther retired of the city. Despite some airports handling important volumes of planetary travellers, Haneda is the superior airdrome for home travellers.

Haneda Airport opened successful 1955, but has undergone important enlargement projects implicit the years. Increasing rider postulation has continually necessitated expansions of the airport, including the opening of a caller planetary rider terminal successful 2010 and a consequent £320 cardinal Terminal 2 hold to amended work planetary flights.

Additionally, a caller high-speed bid connecting Haneda airdrome to the Tokyo metropolis centre is acceptable to unfastened successful 2031. The task is worthy an estimated ¥280 cardinal (approximately £1.4 billion) and volition let passengers to question straight from Tokyo presumption to Haneda airdrome successful 18 minutes.