#89 View from the sky over Tokyo
Why the window seat on the left facing the nose of the plane is best for Haneda's arrival.
When traveling by air, whether domestically or internationally, you may have looked out the window at the city below before landing at your destination. Especially when you see the city you are visiting for the first time from the sky, your heart lifts, and your anticipation for the destination further heightens. There are two airports in Tokyo where international flights take off and land: Haneda and Narita. Today, many international flights take off and land at Haneda Airport's Terminal 3, which is closer to the city center, but Haneda used to be an airport for domestic flights. Nowadays, in the afternoon, aircraft in landing gear pass by the Shinagawa area every few minutes on their final approach, passing through two different airways—less than four years since the transportation authority adopted the current patterns.
The biggest beneficiaries of this route may be international travelers and the airlines, which have increased the number of takeoffs and landings. It is a great advantage for travelers to see the whole of Tokyo from the sky at the beginning of their trip. However, several problems and issues must be addressed to make this route a reality. When we look into the conditions that would make it possible to fly over the center of Tokyo, we can see the problems that airports adjacent to large cities face.
Background and outline of the new air route
The new flight route at Haneda has been operational since March 2020, which coincides with the Corona period. The main goal was to increase Haneda Airport's capacity to handle the rapidly growing number of foreign travelers. Ironically, introducing the new route coincided with the drop in passenger volume caused by Corona.
Haneda Airport operates with runways A and C, parallel to the terminal building, and Runways B and D, which almost intersect with Runways A and C. The number of arrivals and departures from Haneda Airport had been increasing until then. The number of arrivals and departures at Haneda Airport was 450,000 per year. Operating the runways in other ways was necessary to meet the growing inbound demand.
At Haneda Airport, the intrusion direction differs depending on whether the wind direction is from the north or south. (Please use the translation function to read) Forty percent of the time, the wind is from the south, the intrusion is from the north, and 60% of the time, the wind is from the north, the intrusion is from the south. Each has a specific time, and the intrusion from the north at airports that fly over the city center and lose altitude is determined to be 3 hours out of 3 to 7 pm, mainly in the summer. Therefore, if your flight arrives within these hours, you have a better chance of flying over the center of Tokyo to land. Whether or not you will enter from the airport's north side is a matter of luck at that time, so you will have to leave that part to the heavens.
It became possible to increase the number of departures and arrivals per hour from a maximum of 80 to 90 by using Runways A and C for both takeoff and landing. In Minato and Shinagawa wards just before the Haneda Airport, about 14 flights per hour use Runway A on the west side, and about 30 flights per hour use Runway C on the east side, so the east side route is often used.
Problems with the new air route
The new air route significantly increased the number of arrivals and departures at Haneda Airport, increasing the airport's transportation capacity and allowing tourists to enjoy the view over the metropolis of Tokyo.
Noise problem: You can easily imagine the situation of airplane noise. When you are at Shinagawa Station, the roar of low-flying airliners approaching Runways A and C echoes through the air, and since the two runways are parallel, the roar echoes on both sides of you. Although the time of day is fixed, I am concerned about the noise problem and the impact of falling parts on the nearby residents.
Global warming: With the introduction of the new air route, flights entering Haneda Airport from the north will have to make a significant turn to Chiba and Saitama to prepare for landing. Furthermore, since 70% of the flights landing at Haneda Airport are from western Japan, they will have to turn around from this side of Haneda Airport, increasing the flight distance and fuel consumption.
The dangers of using the same runway for takeoff and landing aircraft: It is no exaggeration to say that safety is at the mercy of the tower when operating aircraft on the same runway for takeoffs and landings simultaneously. The 1991 crash at Los Angeles International Airport that killed 23 people led to the airport's decision not to use the same runway for takeoffs and landings.
Summary
From a traveler's perspective, the view over the center of Tokyo just before landing is a bonus as the aircraft descends in altitude. In the case of Haneda Airport, the view over the city center is a side effect of the measures taken to increase the number of takeoffs and landings to meet the rapidly growing demand from foreign visitors.
On the other hand, flying over the city center is always accompanied by concerns about environmental issues and the safety of residents. If the number of tourists visiting Japan continues to increase, the issue of the number of takeoffs and landings may come up again. As someone who wants visitors to Tokyo to enjoy the city as much as possible, I believe operations should continue with safety as the top priority.
Tips on reserving seats
Finally, passengers have no choice but to land on Runway C on the eastern route, which provides a closer view of Tokyo's landmarks: the Imperial Palace, the Diet Building, Tokyo Tower, and the Tokyo Sky Tree. These landmarks will be on the left side of the nose of the plane when entering the landing zone from the north. I hope this information is helpful to you when you’re able to book your airplane seat.
I wish you an excellent flight to Tokyo!