Tokyo’s Haneda Airport saw a record 19.1 million international passengers in fiscal year 2023, according to government data released on Wednesday.

The increase is, of course, attributed to a rise in inbound tourists following the easing of COVID-19 border restrictions, but we believe increasing commitments from international carriers and its popularity by way of convenience to central Tokyo have also played critical roles.

This figure represents a 2.8-fold increase from the previous fiscal year, surpassing the previous high of 18.2 million set in fiscal 2018, the East Japan Civil Aviation Bureau reported.

Domestic flights also increased by about 16 percent in fiscal 2023, reaching 61.8 million passengers, according to the bureau.

Haneda resumed hosting international flights in 2010 and has rapidly expanded its services since then. Since then, it has become the more preferred option for many international travelers, due it’s 15km proximity to central Tokyo versus the farther-out Narita International in Chiba Prefecture (though, Narita still handled around 26 million international passengers in fiscal 2023, more than double the previous year’s figure).

We previously reported on the increasing interest by several U.S. based airlines in proposing new direct flight service to and from Haneda, which is only expected to increase despite the limited takeoff and landing slots available.

Japan recorded a historic 3.08 million foreign visitors in March, surpassing the 3 million mark again in April.