Haneda airport originally served as a hub for both domestic and international flights, but once Narita airport opened in 1978 the government pushed the policy of concentrating international flights there instead. At the end of the month, Haneda will handle international flights for the first time in 32 years. From 31 Octobe Haneda will host 17 international routes with 40 daily slots linking the Japanese capital with destinations including Bangkok, Beijing, Honolulu, London, Los Angeles, Paris, New York and Singapore.By 2013, airport authority Tokyo International Air Terminal Corporation (TIAT) aims to offer 90,000 international daytime slots per year.

The expanded international capacity sets up Haneda in competition with Narita Airport on two main factors for competitive advantage.

The first is proximity: Haneda Airport is only 20 km from downtown Tokyo, by contrast to the 66 km required to reach Narita. The second is transit: with its larger domestic operations, Haneda offers more convenience for passengers transferring between international and domestic flights, cutting out the need for many international passengers to make the 60–90 minute road trip between Haneda and Narita.

The new international terminal at Haneda airport also has two rail stations. Tokyo Monorail Co. Just installed ticket gates at its new “Haneda Airport International Terminal Station”, just a one-minute-walk from the check-in counters at the terminal. In a bid to prevent passengers from accidentally falling into the gap between the sharply curved platform and train cars, the company also introduced platform gap fillers that automatically extend when a train comes in.

Meanwhile, Keihin Electric Express Railway Co. (Keikyu), opened underground station with seven elevators.

From Shinagawa it will take 13 minutes and cost JPY 400 (USD 5), while from Yokohama it will take 26 minutes and cost JPY 440 (USD 5.5) on the Keikyu Line. From Hamamatsucho Station in Tokyo, it will take 13 minutes by Tokyo Monorail and cost JPY 470 (USD 5.8). Trains to and from Hamamatsucho depart every three to six minutes during the daytime.

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