Terminal 2 Of Haneda Airport Is Re-opened For International Flights After Being Closed For 3 Years

Terminal 2 Tokyo International Airport, Japan. (Wikimedia Commons/ume-y)

JAKARTA - Terminal 2 of Haneda Airport or Tokyo International Airport in Tokyo, Japan has reopened for travelers from abroad, after being closed for more than three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, operations are still limited from 5 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., with All Nippon Airways (ANA) airlines using the terminal for international flights to London, Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Taipei.

At the opening at 5 am yesterday, ANA staff welcomed the passengers in the departure lobby by bowing their bodies, before travelers formed queues at the counter check-in.

"We are finally back in operation (here) because we have come out of the COVID-19 pandemic and seen a clear recovery in international aviation demand," said ANA President Shinichi Inoue, quoted by Kyodo News July 20.

Previously, Terminal 2 was only used as a domestic flight center until new facilities opened on March 29, 2020, in response to increased tourist traffic coming to airports and foreign travel requests from Japanese residents.

However, the facility was closed just two weeks after opening due to falling global travel requests caused by the spread of the coronavirus.

ANA airlines planning to increase the number of departures and arrivals in the near future, will use Terminal 2 next to Terminal 3 for international flights.

Meanwhile, airline Japan Airlines (JAL) will continue to operate domestic flights from Terminal 1 and international flights from Terminal 3.

It is known that the number of visitors who came to Japan began to recover after the government lifted border control measures related to the coronavirus.

During its closing since April 11, 2020, Terminal 2 of Haneda Airport was used as a filming location for dramas, advertisements, and hosted a parkour competition, featuring urban sports in a unique atmosphere.