Tokyo Narita Part 2: low-cost terminal opening underlines airport's short haul low cost evolution

Tokyo Narita on 08-Apr-2015 will open its low-cost carrier terminal, the third Japanese airport to have one, after Osaka Kansai and Okinawa Naha. The LCCT will open with five LCCs: local carriers Jetstar Japan, Vanilla Air and Spring Airlines Japan as well as Jeju Air and Jetstar Airways (Australia). Those five carriers comprise 78% of Narita's LCC movements and 74% of LCC seat capacity. The LCCT will have transfer facilities, the airport tells CAPA at the recent Routes Asia conference in Kunming.

The LCCT is further proof of the dramatic changes in Japan's aviation policy framework in recent years that have supported LCCs and open sky agreements. In 2015, LCCs will account for 18% of Narita's seats, including 67% of domestic seats. Both of these figures are up from almost zero in 2011. Over a third of all LCC seats at Tokyo Narita are international, and this is expected to grow further as Jetstar Japan commences international flights from Narita and Narita welcomes new service from carriers including Tigerair Taiwan and Indonesia AirAsia X.