In the past, Narita International Airport had to operate under a very limited capacity. Said Miyamoto: "Airlines kept asking for permission to launch additional routes and flights, but we weren't able to accommodate them. However, our operational environment has been radically changing in recent years."

The biggest change is the expansion of the annual capacity for takeoffs and landings. In March 2010, the maximum number of departures and arrivals increased from 200,000 to 220,000. In the following October, four-way talks among NAA, the national government, Chiba Prefecture and nine local municipalities resulted in an agreement allowing Narita to further boost its annual capacity to 300,000 on the condition that NAA would sincerely implement measures for protecting the environment and ensuring mutual benefits for local communities. As a result, takeoff and landing capacity rose to 235,000 slots by October 2011 and to 250,000 in late March 2012, and will go up to 270,000 by the end of the current fiscal year. Facility enhancements necessary for supporting 300,000 slots could be completed by as early as fiscal 2014.

The Japanese government is taking steps to aid this expansion, including through the promotion of open skies agreements with other countries. These bilateral arrangements are designed to liberalize the air travel sector by mutually eliminating restrictions such as caps on the number of airlines, routes and flights.

Once the open skies accords are in place to allow airlines to freely select their destinations and number of flights, it will be easier for foreign airlines, including LCCs, to start operating in Japan and expand their number of flights here. At the same time, the agreements promise to usher in a more diverse array of services that will enhance user convenience.

As of late August, Japan's government had established open skies agreements affecting Narita with 18 countries and regions, and will continue to pursue deals with other major nations.

Sharing his assessment of the trend, Miyamoto said, "We believe the agreements will energize the air travel market and provide big business opportunities to those involved, including Narita. At the same time, however, competition with other airports in Asia and elsewhere will intensify, so we will seek to further maximize our strengths in order to make Narita the airport of choice for both airlines and passengers."

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