Aircraft on international flights will be allowed to land at Haneda airport beginning April 25 if they are unable to use Narita airport due to unforeseen circumstances, the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Ministry said Tuesday.
Landing at Haneda airport between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m., when Narita is closed, will thus be an option in cases where international flights are delayed by reasons such as bad weather and equipment problems.
The departure of flights bound for Narita airport have been delayed in cases where preflight problems have made arriving at the airport by 11 p.m. impossible. This excludes cases involving inclement weather during flight or emergency situations.
"It's been problematic that we don't have an airport in the Tokyo area that is operational on a round-the-clock basis," transport minister Chikage Ogi said. "I think this decision will make up for it with the combination of Narita and Haneda."
According to the ministry, 50 to 60 flights a year are forced to postpone their arrival at Narita until the following morning.
The government will now boost customs operations and immigration procedures at Haneda.