Alexandru Arba
Research expert covering Japan
Aviation industry in Japan - statistics & facts
Japan is formed of numerous islands stretching over thousands of kilometers from the north-east to the south-west, making air travel the mode of transport of choice for long-distance domestic trips and travel abroad. In 2023, more than 1.2 million airplane landings were registered at Japanese airports, most of which were domestic flights. Domestic trips comfortably accounted for the majority of travel volume in Japan's aviation industry. However, inbound travel increasingly gained importance during the past decade, when excluding the COVID-19 pandemic period from 2020 to 2022.
This is good news for Japan's aviation industry because while domestic travel has reached its peak and its demand is saturated, the number of inbound trips by international travelers still has the potential to increase significantly. Since air travel is by far the most used mode of transport for inbound travelers, JAL and ANA are well-positioned to reap the rewards of Japan's increasing popularity as a destination for leisure and business alike.
Tokyo is the aviation industry's hub
Japan is a highly centralized country, and this also becomes evident when looking at the aviation industry. With more than 100 airports, including 10 airports that have significant international traffic, Japan has a strong aviation infrastructure. Despite this, much of the air traffic revolves around the Tokyo metropolitan area, which hosts the country's two busiest airports: Haneda International Airport, and Narita International Airport. Haneda International Airport has by far the highest overall air traffic, handling more than double the number of passengers, as well as aircraft landings, than the second-ranked Narita International Airport. The three busiest domestic connections all depart from Haneda Airport, and fly to New Chitose Airport (Hokkaido Prefecture), Fukuoka Airport, and Naha International Airport (Okinawa Prefecture). All three destinations are distant. These routes coincide with popular leisure destinations in Japan. The Tokyo metropolitan area is also leading the way in terms of inbound tourism, with Narita International Airport being the top-performing airport by number of inbound traveler arrivals, followed by Haneda International Airport, and Kansai International Airport, located next to Osaka.JAL and ANA - competing for Japan's flag carrier status
Japan Airlines (JAL), and All Nippon Airways (ANA) were among the first companies in Japan to offer commercial flights. Decades and many mergers later, they hold a commanding position, defining the shape and direction of Japan's aviation industry. The two companies are rivals, competing for the flag carrier status of Japan. Until recently, the domestic travel segment was the more lucrative part of business. However, despite the sluggish recovery of outbound travel and the lack of travelers in that segment, the sharp increase in inbound visitors turned this state of affairs around. In 2023, for the first time in recent history, the revenue from international travel reported by both giants of Japan's aviation industry JAL and ANA, clearly surpassed the revenue earned from their domestic travel operations.This is good news for Japan's aviation industry because while domestic travel has reached its peak and its demand is saturated, the number of inbound trips by international travelers still has the potential to increase significantly. Since air travel is by far the most used mode of transport for inbound travelers, JAL and ANA are well-positioned to reap the rewards of Japan's increasing popularity as a destination for leisure and business alike.
