Japan’s Haneda Airport set to raise landing fees
April hikes for international flights aim to cut down on noise
TOKYO — Japan’s transport ministry will adjust international landing fees at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport in April for the first time in nearly two decades, charging carriers in part based on aircraft noise to encourage upgrades to newer, quieter jets.
While the current system calculates fees based only on aircraft weight, the new framework factors in noise along with raising weight-based charges by as much as 8%. The new fee rates will be finalized in consultation with the International Air Transport Association. With an expansion of takeoff and landing slots set to make Tokyo’s airspace busier, the ministry hopes to restrain noise levels. The airport’s fees for domestic flights already take noise into account.
Landing fees for all planes will be higher. An airline likely will pay 460,000 yen ($4,057) to land a standard Boeing 787-8, up from about 410,000 yen now. The cost for an Airbus A320, a model often used by budget carriers, is seen rising to 200,000 yen from 160,000 yen. The hikes are expected to equate to a few hundred yen per passenger, though each carrier will decide whether to pass on the added costs to customers.
Haneda’s international landing fees were last changed in 1998. Since then, Japan’s regional airports and Narita Airport outside Tokyo have lowered fees in a bid to keep or attract service. With Haneda conveniently located near downtown Tokyo, a moderate increase in landing fees likely would not put a dent in traffic.
