Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I hadn’t been to the airport for photography for over six months. On June 19, the Japanese government lifted various travel restrictions, and the number of infections was kept to a few dozen, so I could finally visit Haneda Airport to see how things were.

I first arrived at Terminal 2. As expected, there were very few people in the airport, and it was empty everywhere.

By the way, a new international Departure entrance was built on the south side of Terminal 2, but due to the pandemic, it hasn’t been put into use yet. However, the new building blocks the view to the south, so takeoffs from Runway 05 can no longer be seen from the rooftop observation deck.

Looking at the Apron, why does this look like an airport in a second or third-tier city? Bombardier Dash 8-Q400s and Boeing 737-700s; the appearance of such small aircraft at Tokyo International Airport was unimaginable half a year ago. You must know that in the past, this was predominantly the world of wide-body aircraft like the 787 and 777.

Next, I walked to Terminal 1. The International Passenger Terminal in front of me has now been renamed Terminal 3, but there isn’t a single international flight on the Apron; it’s filled with idle aircraft from JAL and ANA.

Neatly arranged cargo platforms; after all, there are far fewer flights.

Aircraft landing on Runway 34L; you can see a large number of aircraft on the maintenance hangar Apron having their engines removed for maintenance.

The biggest gain of the day was seeing the new Arrival and Departure routes with my own eyes. For example, for landings on Runway 16L, the aircraft pass right over the Tokyo city center area. This is the moment before landing on Runway 16R. In the background, you can see grounded aircraft on the Apron and even on the Taxiway.

Additionally, there were takeoffs from Runway 22, which I was seeing for the first time as well. Perhaps the idle Boeing 787s in the background are even more conspicuous… However, the Runway is quite far from the observation deck, so in the future, I might try going to spotting points outside the airport perimeter.

Taking a look back at the airport Tower, even the air traffic controllers are working while wearing masks.

It’s been half a year since my last visit to Tokyo International Airport. The weather wasn’t good, so I didn’t take many photos of aircraft; this is mainly a record of the pandemic’s impact on the aviation industry. I look forward to the rapid development of a COVID-19 vaccine and the quick recovery of daily life and the economy, welcoming the “New Normal.”