[Anonymous]

[sparkyflier]

At present BA operates to both Narita & Haneda, using 772 & 77W. The schedules into Haneda have been improved slightly and there is also the code share with Japan Airlines on their 777-300 ER.

I understand that JAL, ANA & Virgin are all operating to Narita at present but by Winter 14/15. will have moved to Haneda, which is far more convenient for getting into Tokyo.

Do you think BA will sustain its flights to Narita? Should they? In another thread a regular poster indicated that BA might be bringing forward its A380 deliveries, so do you think BA could allocate a A380 to a daily Haneda flight, cancel its Narita route, and use the daily LHR slot to go to other destinations?

The A380 I believe is generally going down well (with the exception being some are disapponted with teh F & J cabins), but the key advantage of it is that the fuel costs are lower and it can release slots to be used on other or new routes. An example being Johannesburg and IAD, where once the A380 starts going there, the early afternoon 767/777 fligth will be cancelled.

Do you think a daily A380 flight to Haneda is desirable and would the released slot be better used to operate flights to Osaka for example, or other routes in Asia for example a Taipei/Manila flight or routes into Vietnam, KL or elsewhere?

[londonlad]

Some light reading on the topic.

http://centreforaviation.com/analysis/japan-awards-international-tokyo-haneda-airport-slots-but-narita-airport-remains-the-main-hub-132103

“A further factor for airlines is that the A380 will not be permitted to operate at Haneda during the daytime.

Japanese authorities say A380 movements during the day will require greater separation, partially for wake turbulence, thus reducing the operational efficiency of Haneda. Late night/early morning A380 movements will be authorised once all construction work on runway C finishes.”

[Ab0dache]

I believe Haneda airport cannot receive the A380 aircraft.

Only Narita can. This is why I think there are no announcements of airline flying with the A380 to Haneda.

[AMcWhirter]

Well Lufthansa is increasing flights into Haneda at the expense of Narita. Perhaps other European carriers will follow ?

From the summer schedule, although Lufthansa will continue to operate Frankfurt-Narita, the flight is routed via Osaka. It means the overall journey time will be increased making the Narita route less popular.

[sparkyflier]

Interesting to know about eg A380 having very limited access to Haneda.

But as Alex says, as Narita is less desirable these days, but still has some value, and as London does not have an Osaka flight, maybe BA could kill two birds with one stone and have a LHR-KIX -NRT and v v flight.

[canucklad]

I wonder what the long term future of Narita is going to be, obviously wont share the same fate as Mirabel, but could it be destined to be Tokyo’s answer to Gatwick!

And surely our own spineless aviation committee must surely spot the correlation between Haneda and that other airport that starts with a “ H”

[thecartoonman]

One tends to forget with the passage of time, just how much opposition there was from Japanese farmers/locals to the building of Narita, with baton wielding police very much in evidence as you arrived at the airport in the late 80’s and 90’s.

With this in mind, I just wonder if the Japanese Government will keep long/mid haul international transfers from NRT to HND to a trickle, enough to keep the airlines fairly quiet but all the time making sure that Narita does not become ‘redundant’

There is no doubt that HND is much more convenient for Tokyo visitors but on the times I have travelled to Japan the thought of a 04.30am arrival into HND made me head to Narita everytime, the relaxing of daytime slots is a start, but I do feel it will not open the floodgates anytime soon.

We shall see.

[canucklad]

Morning to you thecartoonman

Yes, I do recall the very violent protests pre and indeed post opening. In fact one tactic involved letting off some type of weather balloons at the end of the active runway.

A YVR bound CP 747’s main landing gear was damaged after take-off, the crew continued and by the time the plane got to YVR the incident had made the national news.

As I’ve proudly mentioned many times before, my Dad was a member of the CP family and by proxy so was his whole family! And the CP family were very close; the whole crew on that flight weren’t just colleagues but known friends.

I remember my dad and another work colleague standing in our living room, anxiously following events unfold on CBC’s breaking news interupting scheduled programmes. It was also touching to see AC staff also nervously watching at the airport.

After circling and many fly pasts the control tower and the main hanger the pilots made a perfect landing despite the crippled bogey! I’m sure they went on to win an airmanship award.

And I’m also quite sure that after that incident the protesters scaled back the severity of their actions.

[Globalexport]

I’m a regular traveller to Japan – usually into KIX and out of Narita or Haneda.The daily KLM and Air France flights to KIX are always full and KLM upgraded the 777-200 to -300 last year.I am shocked that BA still has no LHR – Osaka direct flight – none in fact since the late 1990’s- in those days they served Osaka,Fukuoka,Nagoya and Tokyo.A code-shared flight with JAL out of Osaka at the very minimum should be expected.

[sparkyflier]

BA obtained a bunch of slots post BMI purchase, justified by saying it would enable BA to forge links with emerging nations in Asia, Africa and South America.

While not a developing nation, you would think a LHR-Osaka link would be a no-brainer, especially as they have JAL as a partner. Interesting to hear the AF & KL flights into KIX are always full.

Maybe BA can let JAL operate the flight, so they can use their aircraft elsewhere, and besides the JAL products – F, J, Y+ and Y are all very competitive and superior to the BA equivalent.

[Globalexport]

Flying home on the new AF Haneda flight via Paris in June – leaves Haneda 0730 am and arrival into PAris for early afternoon connection home.Haneda is jsut a 20 minute taxi ride from my usual hotel – a joy over the hike out to Narita.A much pleasanter experience hopefully.I usually buy a rail pass when in Japan so the cost of getting out to Narita is never an issue but it can be a long slog, particualrly if out in Tokyo suburbs ,with connecting subways or commuter trains to the Narita Express and during the rush hour, hauling a suitcase.

[AMcWhirter]

sparkyflyer – Agree with you about KIX (Osaka). BA used to serve this city in the past. Maybe LH’s solution of flying to KIX via NRT would be a cost-effective solution for BA.

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