Tokyo stays a perennial vacationer favourite, attracting a record 36.8 million international visitors in 2024. So it is sensible that the town has two airports serving each worldwide air visitors and home journey.
Narita Worldwide Airport (NRT), inbuilt 1978, used to serve probably the most long-haul flights of the 2 journey hubs, however that’s not the case. Of the 2, Haneda Airport (HND) is now the busiest by way of passengers, dealing with in extra of 78 million passengers yearly, whereas Narita handles over 30 million annually.
Haneda’s worldwide terminal opened in 2010, and by 2023, it was one of the world’s busiest airports. Since 2020, various U.S. airways have added daytime flight service to and from Haneda. Carriers similar to All Nippon Airways and Japan Airways have also shifted most of their international flight operations from Narita Worldwide to Haneda, the first motive for the shift being location.
However with loads of flight choices to every, deciding which of the 2 airports it is best to fly into might be tough. Fortunately, we have weighed up the options of each so as to take advantage of knowledgeable resolution earlier than reserving your flight.
Distance to downtown and transportation choices
Tokyo is the world’s most populated metropolis, with over 37 million residents, and it covers roughly 800 sq. miles. Its sheer measurement makes defining a real metropolis heart troublesome. Tokyo has over 20 wards, every comprising a number of completely different districts.
For this publish, we are going to use the enduring Shibuya Crossing in downtown Tokyo as our reference level. It is generally known as the busiest road on this planet, the place as many as 2,500 individuals at a time cross a single intersection at sure factors within the day.
Here is how the 2 airports stack up by way of journey time and the price of public transportation or taxi to this central level:
| Getting downtown | NRT | HND |
|---|---|---|
| Distance (by automotive) | 47 miles | 13 miles |
| Time (by automotive) | 1 hour and half-hour | 40 minutes |
| Common taxi value | 23,000 to 30,000 Japanese yen (roughly $150 to $200) | 8,000 to 12,000 Japanese yen (roughly $50 to $78) |
| Public transit | Narita Skyliner Categorical/Yamanote Line (2,630 Japanese yen/roughly $17) | Tokyo Monorail/Yamanote Line (690 Japanese yen/roughly $4.45) |
Whereas ride-hailing apps like Uber and GO can be found in Tokyo, it is sometimes cheaper to hail a cab.
The map pictures under point out simply how a lot farther out of the town the Narita complicated is than Haneda:
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NRT to Shibuya. GOOGLE MAPS
Driving in from NRT will take not less than 60 minutes, if not longer, relying on visitors as you close to the town. Whereas they don’t seem to be arduous to seek out, remember that cab rides in Japan are fairly costly. A visit from Narita to the town will possible value you between $150 and $200 or extra. Public transit is less expensive by comparability, although the journey would require you to attach from the airport categorical line to Tokyo’s sprawling metro system to get to your last vacation spot, which can be intimidating for some.
Haneda is way nearer by comparability. It is situated on a peninsula simply south of the town heart, about 8.7 miles south of Tokyo Station, the town’s central prepare station. Not solely will you acquire some spectacular views when your flight is arriving/departing, however additionally, you will be rewarded with a a lot shorter journey into the town.
Driving to Shibuya Crossing will take between 30 and 45 minutes, relying on visitors, although even a brief journey like this would possibly lead to a $100-plus taxi invoice. Public transit will get you there in the identical period of time for lower than $5.
Winner: Saving time once you journey for enterprise or pleasure ought to at all times be your objective, particularly when visiting a metropolis like Tokyo, the place you will by no means have sufficient time to do and see all the pieces you need. HND’s proximity to the center of the town is why many vacationers select to fly out and in of that airport when visiting Tokyo.
Which airport is healthier for enterprise vacationers?
The space from Tokyo Station to Haneda Airport is simply 11 miles; in the meantime, Narita Worldwide is 43 miles away. For those who’re touring by automotive or bus, this makes an enormous distinction in journey time. You might get to your resort or enterprise assembly from HND in lower than 20 minutes if the visitors is mild; on the flip aspect, it is roughly an hour-long commute from NRT.
Haneda can be a greater choice if you are going to Yokohama, the second-largest metropolis in Japan, which is south of Tokyo alongside the coast.
Winner: Due to its proximity to Tokyo’s enterprise districts, Haneda is nearly at all times the higher airport choice for vacationers with a enterprise assembly or different time-sensitive engagements.
Airways and flight choices
Japan is the one nation with two Skytrax five-star airways, All Nippon Airways and Japan Airways, occupying spots of their top 10 carriers. Each function long- and short-haul flights out of NRT and HND — however each carriers are shifting extra of their long-haul operations to Haneda. Whereas NRT stays Japan’s largest airport, it providers fewer worldwide flights as of late, pivoting to give attention to medium-haul routes from All Nippon, Japan Airways and different airways as a substitute.
In the meantime, service from Haneda to the U.S. has enormously expanded since 2019, as its nearer location to Tokyo has made it extra enticing to passengers. In response, the federal government has allotted extra slots for worldwide flights to fulfill demand. In 2023, HND noticed report highs in worldwide guests and flights.
American provider United Airlines has enormously elevated its flight routes from Los Angeles Worldwide Airport (LAX) and Newark Liberty Worldwide Airport (EWR) to HND within the final 5 years whereas lowering the variety of flights it operates out of NRT. Delta Air Traces, in the meantime, closed down its NRT hub and shifted its whole Tokyo flight technique to HND.
As Haneda’s worldwide flight choices have elevated, so has the variety of airways that serve worldwide passengers there. However in lots of instances, even when a given airline does not fly to the airport you need, you may get there on a codeshare or alliance accomplice. For instance, Oneworld passengers flying between Japan and Sydney have two choices between Japan Airways and Qantas, each of which provide flights from HND and NRT.
Narita provides flights to 41 nations and 14 U.S. states; by comparability, Haneda, regardless of its pivot towards long-haul choices, has flights to only 27 nations and 15 U.S. states. For vacationers to Tokyo coming from the U.S., although, this distinction could show considerably negligible.
Haneda’s clearest edge, for now, stays home flights inside Japan. As Tokyo’s principal home airport, Haneda provides flights to 50 locations throughout Japan.
Winner: Haneda now has the higher hand for journey to and from the U.S., given the shift in flight choices from carriers like Delta and United within the final 5 years. It additionally maintains an edge for journey inside Japan, as there are numerous extra choices to attach for flights to different elements of the nation. Nevertheless, Narita Worldwide nonetheless retains nice worth for its diverse choices of long-haul routes globally.
Airport facilities and perks
At each airports, you will discover first- and business-class lounges for Japan Airways and ANA, with minimal variations in design aesthetics and meals and beverage choices. Japan Airways’ first-class lounge at NRT is particularly well-known for the made-to-order sushi station it provides, whereas first-class passengers at HND can pattern a made-to-order teppanyaki bar.
Narita Worldwide can be house to an array of lounges and golf equipment operated by worldwide companions, together with United International First and United Membership lounges, plus an American Airways Admirals Membership.
Haneda, in flip, has loads of its personal lounge choices and is house to a Delta Sky Membership (opened in 2022) and the famed Cathay Pacific Lounge, amongst others. Later this 12 months, Haneda can even acquire an Amex Centurion Lounge.
For passengers who aren’t touring in a premium cabin, Narita may need the higher hand. The airport provides 5 Priority Pass lounges throughout its two terminals, whereas Haneda has none. Narita can be one in every of solely 5 worldwide places to host a United Club lounge.
Each airports function a good quantity of buying and eating choices and are typically among the many extra nice locations to spend a protracted layover. Narita has a bit extra of an attraction for aviation geeks, as the dimensions and number of planes you will see make for some nice natural leisure. Some, like Thai’s Airbus A380, are particularly uncommon finds for U.S.-based vacationers.
Winner: Whereas premium-cabin passengers will not discover a lot distinction between the 2 airports by way of lounge entry, these touring in financial system might be happier touring via Narita. Between Precedence Move lounges and a few nice planespotting, it makes for a extra satisfying layover.
Backside line
Narita and Haneda are each glorious airports. Nevertheless, the variations between the 2 amenities have gotten extra obvious. Haneda is way nearer in location to downtown Tokyo, and that proximity has made it a favourite for enterprise vacationers. The airport can be more and more used for long-haul flights, particularly to the U.S.
In the meantime, Narita provides extra flights from extra worldwide carriers and might provide a wider selection of locations around the globe. It additionally has a wider number of airport lounges.
