International flight passengers at Tokyo's Haneda airport totaled a record high of 19.1 million in fiscal 2023, government data showed Wednesday, with an increase in inbound tourist traffic following the relaxation of COVID-19 border measures contributing to the growth.
The figure marked a 2.8-fold increase from the previous fiscal year, topping the previous record of 18.2 million set in fiscal 2018, according to the transport ministry's East Japan Civil Aviation Bureau.
Meanwhile, domestic flights at the airport rose around 16 percent in fiscal 2023 to 61.8 million, the bureau said.
Located about 15 kilometers from central Tokyo, Haneda airport resumed hosting international flights in 2010 and has rapidly expanded services in the ensuing years.
It is now Japan's second busiest international airport after Narita International Airport, located near Tokyo in neighboring Chiba Prefecture. Narita saw around 26 million international passengers in fiscal 2023, more than double the previous year.
Japan logged a record 3.08 million foreign visitors in March, topping the 3 million mark for the second consecutive month in April.
The country ended its border control measures on travelers from overseas in May last year in line with its decision to categorize COVID-19 as a common disease.
