Why this timing? Haneda Airport new route passing through the city center, August 8, 13:50
Regarding the new flight route that passes through the city center to increase international flights to and from Haneda Airport, the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ishii will start operation from “Summer Diagram” on March 29 next year as “local understanding has been gained” Revealed to start. Why did the country decide to operate a new route that passes over the city center at this time? The national official explained that the schedule for the schedule revision for international flights was influencing.
For international flights, the schedule of the international private organization "IATA", which is created by airlines around the world, is revised twice a year, in March and October every year.
March is the “summer diagram” and October is the “winter diagram”.
If we want to increase international flights for the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, the “Summer Schedule” revision in March next year will be the last chance.
Therefore, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has to clear some procedures in advance.
Specifically, from the beginning of next month, it will be necessary to inform the world's airlines about the increased number of international flights at Haneda Airport, and to request hopes for departure and arrival slots.
In early October, the deadline for applications is closed, and after that, the procedures for coordinating with the airlines of each country are in place.
In addition, in order to set a new flight route, after conducting an inspection flight to confirm the safety of the route with an airplane equipped with special equipment, the flight route is operated from about one month before the airline, etc. It is necessary to make it known.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism considers such procedures and is supposed to announce the operation decision at this time.
Concerns are "noise" and "fallen objects" caused by passenger aircraft
Opinions and opposition from the local residents and local governments have been raised regarding the new flight route that passes over the city center to Haneda Airport.
Among them, a citizen group made up of residents of surrounding routes held a meeting last month, and confirmed that a lawsuit for cancellation or change was made when the operation of the new route was decided.
In addition, movements against the new route are also taking place in the district council.
In March, the Shibuya City parliament passed unanimously a written opinion requesting a review of the route, etc., because the city was not fully understood.
The Shinagawa City parliament also passed a resolution unanimously in March, requesting consideration of routes that do not pass over the city.
Of particular concern to local residents and local governments are “noise” and “falling objects” from passenger aircraft.
Of these, “noise” is estimated to be the largest outdoors in the country, around 70 decibels near Shinjuku, around 74 decibels near Shibuya, and around 80 decibels near Oimachi. It is equivalent to the sound of roads, noisy streets, and vacuum cleaners.
There are also concerns about parts from passenger aircraft and ice “falling objects”. In fact, in the year up to October last year, there were reports that 447 parts had disappeared from aircrafts arriving at seven major airports in Japan, such as Haneda and Narita, and some parts of more than 1 kilometer were lost. There were 6 reports that
If you measure the noise passing through an altitude of 300m ...
Domestic routes such as Fukuoka Airport and Osaka Airport in metropolitan areas have routes to fly over residential areas, and in some areas, passenger planes fly near an altitude of 100 meters.
Near the city of Fukuoka City, at the lowest point at Fukuoka Airport, a passenger plane flies about 100 meters in altitude.
Of these, in the Hakozaki Pier area, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, arrival aircraft passed one after another around an altitude of approximately 300 meters.
This is the same altitude assumed near Oimachi Station in Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, and every time a passenger plane passed through the sky, a “go” sound was heard around it.
At this distance, the engine and wheels of the passenger plane were clearly visible from the ground, and when measured with a noise meter, it was equivalent to a noisy street with a maximum of 77 dB.
In addition, passenger planes are flying at an altitude of about 300 meters in the vicinity of Shirakihara, Onojo City, about 5 km away from the airport. That is.
A 46-year-old housewife, who moved to the area three years ago, said, “At first, I was surprised by the loud noise and the huge passenger plane that passed nearby. I am afraid of what will happen. "
Raising new flight noise countermeasure "Flight altitude"
At the end of last month, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism presented a new noise countermeasure policy to neighboring local governments in response to reviews and opposition from the residents around the new route.
One of the noise countermeasures the country has shown is to increase the “flying altitude” over the city center.
Normally, the angle at which a passenger plane enters the runway is set to “3 degrees”. However, in the proposed case, if the weather conditions are south and the weather is good, it will be changed to “3.5 degrees”. It is.
As a result, it is said that the flight altitude can be raised from the current plan, mainly in areas close to the airport.
The country estimates
▽ In the vicinity of Oimachi in Shinagawa Ward, from an altitude of about 300 meters to a maximum of about 330 meters,
▽ In the vicinity of Shibuya and `` Azabu / Ebisu '', the altitude is about 600 meters and the maximum is about 690 meters.
▽ In the vicinity of Shinjuku, from an altitude of about 900 meters to a maximum of about 1020 meters,
▽ In the vicinity of Nakano from an altitude of about 1020 meters to a maximum of about 1140 meters,
It is expected to be raised.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism explained that this can reduce noise, and has asked local residents and local governments to understand the operation of the new route.
Downtown Route Narrowness of “airspace” in the background
The background to the establishment of a new route over the city center is the narrowness of the “airspace” where Haneda Airport can be used.
On the west side of Haneda Airport, there is the “Yokota Airspace” of American troops in Japan. Basically, you cannot fly freely.
In addition, the north side where the new route is opened this time has not been used in principle so that noise problems do not occur due to the densely populated residential areas in the city center.
In other words, passenger planes at Haneda Airport were originally distorted “airspaces” that can only be used above Tokyo Bay and Chiba Prefecture.
According to aviation officials, there are many restrictions even when looking at the world's major airports, and it is rare to have an airport with a narrow "airspace" that can be used here.
On the other hand, the number of arrivals and departures at Haneda Airport has already reached its limit, and the only way to increase the number of arrivals and departures for international flights was to establish a route on either the west side or the north side that had not been used before.
As a result of various technical verifications, the country concluded that it had no choice but to adopt a route over the city center.
Expectations for “noise reduction” in Chiba City
Some people expect the burden of noise etc. to be reduced by the decision of a new route over the city center.
Keiichi Nakano, who lives in the Oyumino area, Midori-ku, Chiba City, serves as the chairman of the Oyumino Koyatsu Residents' Association.
In July, Mr. Nakano's residents' association submitted a request to the country regarding passenger aircraft.
The “noise” caused by passenger aircraft should be shared equally not only in Chiba City but also in other areas such as Tokyo.
There is a reason why Mr. Nakano and others have issued a request for “noise”.
Approximately 600 passenger planes arrive at Haneda Airport a day, but most of them actually pass over Chiba Prefecture.
In particular, in the case of the south wind, the sky above Chiba City is the point where the arrival aircraft from the north and south intersect, and when there are many, it passes one after another at a rate of about one and a half minutes.
In the area where Mr. Nakano and his family live, passenger aircraft fly near an altitude of 1,200 meters, and the “noise” that seems to be an aircraft has exceeded 30,000 times last year as measured by Chiba City.
The day I visited for the interview, the sound of the passenger plane sounded almost unstoppable when I was outdoors.
In addition, it is said that there are not a few residents who suffer from “noise” during the day from 6 am to 11 pm when the passenger plane passes.
In the case of south wind with the opening of this new route, the country will no longer fly over Chiba City for about 3 hours between 3 pm and 7 pm, so the country is noisy in Chiba City etc. Is explained to be reduced.
Keiichi Nakano said, “I can fully understand the concerns about noise and falling objects of people around the new route. I think it is frank that we need to pay a little more equal burden, including in Tokyo. ”
Expert "Thoroughly familiarize you to fly carefully"
As for the new route over the city center, Hiroyuki Kobayashi, former airline captain of Japan Airlines and aviation critic, said, “There are still a lot of concerns from passengers about passenger aircraft noise and falling objects. Although efforts have been made such as raising the flight altitude and taking measures against falling objects, it is necessary to bear in mind that there is such a concern, and more carefully inspecting the aircraft's aircraft, But you should pay close attention to altitude and flight. "
Furthermore, foreign airlines that use Haneda Airport more frequently due to the increase in international flights said that the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism may be less aware of noise and falling objects than Japanese airlines. To airlines, we must be aware that the route over the city center of Haneda Airport is a concern for residents and that they must fly carefully. "