Qantas:

Qantas won’t be joining the rush of airlines servicing Tokyo's new international terminal at Haneda.

“We don't currently have landing rights at Haneda” Qantas spokesman Tom Woodward told Australian Business Traveller. “I think it’s fair to say that Narita will remain our principal Japanese port for the foreseeable future.”

Qantas runs direct flights to Narita while its low-cost sibling Jetstar services Kansai for easy access to Osaka and Kyoto, but Woodward says that “regulatory arrangements would need to change in order for us to fly (to Haneda).”

Formerly a domestic airport, Haneda this month opened to international traffic after an extensive upgrade and the addition of a fourth runway. In comparison to the trek from Narita into Tokyo, which can take upwards of one hour, an express train from Haneda to Tokyo’s Shinagawa Station takes barely 15 minutes.

Haneda’s links to 48 Japanese cities also streamlines transfers between international and domestic flights – at present, visitors arriving at Narita have to make a nearly two-hour journey to Haneda to connect to a domestic flight.

14 international airlines will be listed on Haneda’s arrivals boards by the end of October including Air Canada, Air China, ANA, Asiana, Singapore Airlines and Thai Airways.