Tokyo's Haneda airport on Thursday will start allowing simultaneous landings using two parallel runways to help reduce rush-hour delays, airport officials said Tuesday.
Simultaneous landings by two or more jetliners are limited to airports with multiple runways, according to regulations stipulated by the International Civil Aviation Organization. Haneda is the only Japanese airport that meets this criteria.
The Land, Infrastructure and Transport Ministry says simultaneous landings will be permitted using the A and C runways during northerly winds, which account for roughly 60 percent of annual flights.
Haneda airport, which added six people to its team of controllers to better cope with simultaneous landings, has already implemented simultaneous departures by two planes.
The airport handles about 700 flights per day, with landings and departures every one to two minutes during the morning and evening rush hours.