羽田機場大幅提昇国際線

A few weeks ago the Asahi News on-line reported the following:

羽田国際線、大幅拡大　就航都市、６増え２３に

2014年3月30日21時22分

　羽田空港の国際線は３０日、大幅に拡大された。ターミナルビルを増床して搭乗口が８カ所増えた。就航先は１７都市から２３都市、便数は１日５５便から７７便に。マニラ、ミュンヘン、バンクーバーなどの都市に新たに就航したほか、ロンドンやパリなど中長距離路線も昼間に発着できるようになり、乗客の利便性が格段に上がった。

　地方からの国内線と国際線を乗り継ぐ客も増えると期待されている。国土交通省東京空港事務所の佐藤敬次長は式典で、「羽田と世界を結ぶネットワークが拡充し、観光立国の実現につながる」とあいさつした。

　午前８時４５分発のベトナム・ハノイ行き全日空便はほぼ満席の２０８人が搭乗した。米国系企業の社内会議に向かう東京都東村山市の会社員深瀬聡さん（６１）は「成田発なら空港近くで前泊が必要だった。今後は羽田が第１候補だ」と歓迎した。

(試譯文)

On the 30^th (March) the international airlines in the Haneda Airport were expanded sharply. An increase in floor space at the terminal building was carried out, and doors were increased in eight locations. Service locations were expanded from 17 cities to 23 cities, and the number of flights per day from 55 to 77. What newly went into commission were flights to cities such as Manila, Munich, and Vancouver. Also for the middle and long distance routes such as to London and Paris, flights could now depart and arrive in the daytime, and passengers’ convenience had gone up substantially.

It was expected that visitors from rural areas who changed for the domestic flight or for the international airline might also increase in number. At a ceremony, Keiji Sato the deputy director of the Tokyo airport office of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism said "the network which connects Haneda to the world has expanded and it leads to the realization of a country with tourism as a major industry".

For the All Nippon Airways, its flight for Vietnam Hanoi that would leave at 8:45 in the morning had 208 people on board and was almost full. Satoshi Fukase (61) the office worker of Higashi-Murayama-city in Tokyo who went for a U.S. syndicate company’s office meeting welcomed the flight because "if it was from Narita, over-night stay near the airport would be required. Haneda from now on would be the number one choice".

Obviously this improvement in the Haneda Airport would help Japan’s tourism.