JAPAN. Tokyo Narita Airport, Japan’s leading international gateway, posted a +4% year-on-year rise in passengers in November to 2,657,743 – the fourth consecutive monthly gain, according to Travel Journal International (TJI) Online*.
Citing a Narita Airport Corporation (NAA) source, TJI said the monthly gains did not reflect a true recovery “but a rebound from the sluggish demand recorded since autumn 2008 when the economic crisis hit the global market”.
Putting the position in context, NAA pointed out that the number of Japanese passengers using the airport in November 2009 was down some -13% on the November 2007 figure.
The number of international passengers for November rose +4% year-on-year to 2,543,106, while domestic passengers reached 114,637, up +22%.
Although the number of foreign nationals visiting Japan showed the first year-on-year gain (+3%) in the past 18 months since May 2008, no signs of recovery in air traffic from Europe and the US have been observed, said NAA.
TJI noted the following changes for November in terms of Japanese passengers on major routes:
– Pacific: 326,100, +5%
– Europe: 164,500, +5%
– Asia (other): 223,700, +1%
– China: 148,600, +2%
– South Korea, 121,500, +8%
– Taiwan: 91,500, +1%
– Hong Kong: 86,000, +1%
– Oceania: 46,000, +5%
– Guam: 53,700, -2%
*Editor’s note: The Moodie Report works closely with TJI Online, the largest English-language travel trade news source in Japan. Week in, week out, it provides timely and sharp analysis of the all-important Japanese travel market – international and domestic. To subscribe please visit https://tji.tjnet.co.jp. It comes with our highest recommendation.
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