TOP 10 AIRPORTS: TOKYO NARITA INTERNATIONAL 9


NAA negotiating operational pain points after retail sales fall in FY19


In March, coronavirus forced Japan to postpone the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. The country still hopes to showcase its crowning sporting spectacle to the world in 2021 and, accordingly, Tokyo Narita Airport is forging ahead with preparations, writes Luke Barras-Hill.


January to May, a 71.3% decline based on the latest available statistics from the Japan National Tourism Organization. In May alone, the number of visitors year-on-year fell by 99.9% to 1,700. As


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Foreign


Correspondent David Hayes noted in the July issue, Japan’s main international airports, including Narita, have remained open during the lockdown. At press time, many landside and


airside shops across Terminal’s 1, 2 and 3 remain temporarily closed or have pared back working hours due to a spike in cases. Airside, this includes (but is not


Above: Many shops across Terminal’s 1,2 and 3 have temporarily closed or reduced hours of operation.


J


apan was dealt a devastating blow in March when organisers announced the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic


Games were to be postponed due to the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. Providing the world’s greatest


sporting events proceed in 2021 over July, August and September, Tokyo Narita International Airport will be confident that international visitors will be able to fully avail themselves of the retail and commercial facilities. “Our


refurbishment


programme for the retail areas has been completed,” confirms Hiroomi Eguchi, Vice President, Retail Operations Department at Narita International Airport Corporation (NAA). “As an official Olympic partner, we plan to continue with our


NAA and Dior opened the latter’s first standalone perfume and beauty boutique at Narita at Terminal 1 South in March.


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preparations so that we are completely ready to greet athletes, officials and spectators.” NAA’s story is a familiar one.


Like most airports, it continues to be gripped by the persistent threat of the virus, executing stringent health and safety protocols to protect passengers and staff while attempting to restart its commercial activities against the backdrop of severe restrictions on passenger travel. At the time of writing (mid-July),


the country is reporting more than 22,000 Covid-19 cases and nearly 1,000 deaths [source: John Hopkins University]. While the government lifted its state of emergency in May after enforced lockdowns across all 47 of its prefectures, including Tokyo, clusters of infections have been emerging of late.


Arrivals drop 71% to 3.94m While Japan has certainly taken control of the situation, the figures for the travel and tourism sector are stark. A little more than 3.94 million arrivals were recorded between


limited to) FaSoLa gifts and souvenir, tax free and duty free shops (liquor & tobacco, perfumes & cosmetics, FaSoLa Stars Duty Free); Ana Duty Free shops; JAL duty free shops; Gucci, Chanel, Cartier, Burberry, Bulgari, Bottega Veneta, Hermes, Coach, Loewe, Salvatore Ferragamo, Prada, Tiffany & Co. outlets; and FaSoLa’s arrivals duty free shops at the North Wing and South Wing of T1 and T2. At this time, customers are being


encouraged to take advantage of FaSoLa Duty Free’s pre-order service. “Plans for reopening shops are


subject to ongoing change as we monitor the evolving situation concerning the government, airlines and customers,” says Eguchi. But there has been some activity.


Notably, NAA and Dior opened the latter’s first standalone perfume and beauty boutique at Narita at Terminal 1 South in March. This sells fragrances, cosmetics and best- selling makeup items via a fixture positioned at the shop entrance. Over the past few years, NAA has


focused considerable attention on its commercial renewal programme at the airside central and north and south wings of Terminal 1, with 17


AUGUST 2020


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