According to April airport traffic data released by Narita International Airport Corporation (NAA), international passenger flight movements fell 2% year-on-year to 13,750.
Flights between Narita and mainland China dropped 43% year-on-year to 1,390 movements, reportedly affected by the Chinese government's travel advisory discouraging trips to Japan.
Guam routes, which include flights to Saipan, declined 36% year-on-year to 190 movements. The drop was attributed to flight suspensions and cancellations following typhoons that struck Guam and Saipan. In Saipan, damage to airport facilities led to restrictions on nighttime flight operations. Preliminary May data as of May 23 showed a similar trend, with Guam routes down 33% year-on-year.
Middle East routes, which had plunged 71% year-on-year in March amid worsening tensions related to Iran, recovered somewhat in April, posting a smaller decline of 16% year-on-year to 201 movements.
Meanwhile, several other international markets performed strongly, including Europe (+19% year-on-year), Taiwan (+20%), and South Korea (+26%).
