Narita airport handled about 1.79 million tons of cargo in 1999, up 12.6 percent from 1998, making it the second largest freight handler in the world, according to an International Civil Aviation Organization survey.
Hong Kong came in first at 1.97 million tons, up 21.2 percent, followed by Narita, located in Chiba Prefecture, and Singapore's Changi in third at 1.5 million tons, up 16.8 percent according to the survey released Thursday.
Narita's operator, the New Tokyo International Airport Authority, said the reviving Asian economy helped boost cargo volume.
Hong Kong and Narita ranked first and second for four consecutive years from 1996, according to the survey. Kansai airport, in Osaka Bay, placed 15th at 751,000 tons, up 1.6 percent.
The authority said Asian airports held the top three spots on the list partly because European airports are scattered throughout the continent and competition is stiffer than in Asia.
Narita, Japan's main overseas gateway, ranked 19th in number of takeoffs and landings in 1999, up from 20th. It logged 126,000 takeoffs and landings, up 5.9 percent from 1998.
Narita ranked eighth in terms of number of passengers, unchanged from the previous year. It handled about 22,503,000 passengers, up 3.8 percent.