Haneda, also known as Tokyo International Airport, is the 5th busiest airport in the world with nearly 87 million passengers in 2018. Haneda Airport's passenger volume surpasses many major airports such as Chicago O'Hare (83 million), Heathrow (80 million) and Hong Kong (74.5 million).
Despite such a large number of passengers, the airport has a very low rate of delays and cancellations. Haneda Airport had 85.6% of flights departing on time in 2018, surpassing the 77.1% rate of airports of similar size.
Haneda International Airport handles nearly 87 million passengers a year.
What is impressive is that Haneda Airport has won this title for 4 consecutive years. So how can this airport handle such a large number of passengers and still ensure no delays? The answer lies in the dedication of the staff along with the help of science and technology.
At Haneda Domestic Airport, staff have to transport about 17 thousand suitcases of luggage every day. The airport management has set a goal of "Baggage must be transferred from the plane to the passenger within 10 minutes". Before each shift, staff at Haneda Airport have a habit of warming up to ensure health when working.
ATOUN Model Y - an electronic exoskeleton that assists in transporting luggage.
More specifically, Haneda Airport is currently testing the ATOUN Model Y - an electronic exoskeleton that supports the lower half of the body and is equipped for employees who unload and transport luggage. The device's electronic motors and sensors can judge when employees need assistance to help reduce the weight that the user has to bear.
In the future, employees at Haneda Airport may be equipped with a similar aid, but it will focus on the arms. “These tools greatly improve the speed and accuracy of employees; contributing to flights taking off on time,” said Kotaru Shitani, a ground operations supervisor at Japan Airlines.
Haneda also received the title of "5-star airport" and "World's cleanest airport" from Skytrax.
Punctuality is not the only thing that makes Haneda Airport famous. 6 years ago, this airport was honored with the 5-star airport title from Skytrax - a magazine that evaluates and ranks airlines and airports. Only 12 airports in the world received this title and Haneda was also rated by Skytrax as the cleanest airport in the world. In this year's evaluation category (2019), Skytrax ranked Haneda as the second best airport in the world, up 1 place compared to 2018.
A scenic view of Haneda International Airport.
In 2020, the Tokyo Olympics will take place, so Haneda will certainly be one of the important “gateways” for Japan to welcome friends from all over the world. In preparation for these events, Haneda Airport is currently adding 50 international routes to its daily flight schedule.
