Future Changes to Runway Operations at Haneda Airport
Yesterday, the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (MLIT) published the budget summary for FY2018. It reveals that significant changes are coming to Runway usage at Haneda Airport in the future, particularly regarding operations during Landing.
For plane spotters, when the Runways change, the shooting spots must also change, so there is high sensitivity to this information.
Currently, under sunny conditions with a South wind, Haneda Airport uses LDA Approaches for landing on Runways 22 and 23. Aircraft coming from the North enter Tokyo Bay and use the South side Runway 23, while aircraft coming from the South use the North side Runway 22, but both need to make a turn before landing.
Therefore, in terms of shooting locations, from the sea you can capture aircraft on both Runways. For Runway 22, Keihinjima and Jonanjima are good choices, and of course, the airport terminal is also one of the options.
According to this release, during South winds in the future, this will change to landings on 16L and 16R!
With this, aircraft will enter the ILS Final Approach straight over the center of Tokyo, unlike the current Ocean Approach used to consider noise issues. Being able to see landing aircraft up close from Tokyo Tower sounds like a nice feeling.
Since the straight flight path during Approach is longer, the piloting load might be slightly lower for pilots, which is a good thing. However, it feels like the flight distance is longer compared to the current route, meaning passengers sit for an extra ten minutes, and airlines might burn more fuel.
Also, the question of where to shoot from becomes a complete unknown. You might be able to shoot directly from high-rise buildings in the city, but without open parks, beaches, etc., estimating the Approach difficulty will likely be a bit higher than now.
However, if you are only shooting landings, just staying on the observation deck of the terminal is sufficient, which I am very satisfied with.
Additionally, there are some changes to the Takeoff Runways during South winds. Compared to the current 16L and 16R, one more runway, 22, has been added. Those flying North use 16L and 16R, while those flying South use Runway 22. Shooting 22 takeoffs is a difficult problem, so it looks like we will need to develop some new shooting locations in the future.
Regardless, with the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, there is still potential to tap into at Haneda Airport’s existing capacity. According to the new operational plan, the current takeoff and landing capacity of 80 flights per hour can be increased to 90 flights, which is quite attractive.
For spotting planes at Haneda Airport, generally speaking, the observation deck on the top floor of the terminal is the most convenient. It faces the Apron, is free, and has a good environment for dining and shopping. Domestic Terminal Official Website Observation Deck International Terminal Official Website Observation Deck
Because the Runway is right in front of you, at Terminal 1 you can shoot 34R/16R, and at Terminal 2 and the International Terminal, you can shoot takeoffs and landings on 34L/16L without issue.
<img src=https://imgproc.airliners.net/photos/airliners/5/1/3/4552315.jpg?v=v4c7af175a33> This was taken from the top of the International Terminal. Visibility was good that day, and Tokyo Disneyland far across Tokyo Bay could be clearly seen.