A busy airport in Fukuoka City, southwestern Japan, is set to begin operating its second runway on Thursday to alleviate congestion.
Fukuoka Airport was the third-busiest airport in the country in fiscal 2023.
But it had been called Japan's most congested because of its single runway.
Japan's transport ministry spent over one billion dollars to construct the second runway.
The new runway is located close to the first one, as the airport is near the city center.
At 2,500 meters in length, it will be used primarily for international departures, as the proximity of the two runways makes it difficult for planes to land and take off at the same time.
This means the capacity at the airport is expected to increase by just two flights per hour, to 40.
The ministry says it will study demand trends and seek the opinions of locals to decide whether the airport should handle more air traffic. It says 45 takeoffs and landings per hour are possible.
Fukuoka Airport was the third-busiest airport in the country in fiscal 2023.
But it had been called Japan's most congested because of its single runway.
Japan's transport ministry spent over one billion dollars to construct the second runway.
The new runway is located close to the first one, as the airport is near the city center.
At 2,500 meters in length, it will be used primarily for international departures, as the proximity of the two runways makes it difficult for planes to land and take off at the same time.
This means the capacity at the airport is expected to increase by just two flights per hour, to 40.
The ministry says it will study demand trends and seek the opinions of locals to decide whether the airport should handle more air traffic. It says 45 takeoffs and landings per hour are possible.
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Summary
Fukuoka Airport in Japan, previously the third-busiest and most congested due to a single runway, will begin operating a second runway on Thursday. The new runway, costing over one billion dollars, is strategically placed near the city center but distant from the first one. At 2,500 meters long,
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ID: 29e2a87d-537a-4682-95ef-0ea6aa75f169
Category ID: nhk
URL: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20250320_03/
Date: March 20, 2025
Created: 2025/03/20 07:00
Updated: 2025/12/08 05:26
Last Read: 2025/03/20 07:08