TokyoHaneda.com – Your Gateway to Japan

No use crying over spilled milk now, I must say. “You build it so they will come” and so that investors will flood the door when infrastructure is in place. Who are to be blamed? Those who hope to profit from the economic benefit an airport are just as guilty, don’t just blame it on the salesman, the people in the office who decided the construction of the airport. However they will not sleep well every night without being pricked by guilt.

Ibaraki Airport now officially recognised as the 98th airport opened in Japan, has been making headlines for the past few months prior to its opening, with everyone’s questioning its very existance, the need for its construction. It opened at a tough time when bad news are pouring everywhere and after the bankruptcy of Japan Airlines, largest Airlines in Asia, whose main reasons contributing to its failure were believed to be from over expanding too quickly and relation with the past administration, often being pressured to operate from several airports that could hardly able to fill enough passengers on its flight.

With a new JAL, from now on being closely watched by the public and tendency to be scrutinized for one small mistake, it quickly turned down the offer when asked to consider flying into Ibaraki airport. No question asked. JAL’s rival, ANA, rejected using Ibaraki airport too. This explained why Ibaraki airport opened on the 11th of this month with only one single regular flight at opening and one domestic flight to commence a month later after opening.

No one would expect this to have happened. Those numbers were looking so promising and everyone thought the plan will take off. Again unfortunately the numbers were bloated to trick people into believing that decisions were not wrongly made. It is done so so that it will allow for multi-million dollars construction works to be passed. Not realizing that what is in demand are construction projects but not airports.

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“Hina Matsuri” (in Japanese 雛祭り, Festival of Dolls) celebrated on March 3, is a once a year event during which little girls learn the importance of gentility and thoughtfulness, qualities they would need to become good wives and mothers in traditional Japanese society. A major feature of this celebration is the display of Hina Ningyo, special dolls representing aspects of the royal court during the Heian period (795-1185), usually arranged on a five- or seven-tiered stand that is covered with a celebratory red cloth and placed in the best room of the house.

Both JAL and ANA celebrated Hina Matsuri today with “Hina Matsuri Flights”, by running domestic flights, operated mostly by female ground staff, attendants, mechanics and co-pilots (unfortunately both airlines have yet to have any female pilots promoted to the rank of captain but will soon see one in years to come). At Tokyo Haneda Airport, today JAL1605 bound for Kumamoto and ANA193 bound for Oita were designated to be operated by female staff members. The team of solely female staff from both ANA and JAL, demonstrated each own roles and professions, and their contribution in this much-focused airlines industry.

The two airlines introduced Hina Matsuri flights last year with the intention to highlight the role of women in the airline industry. where most positions available to women were cabin attendants or check-in staff. This has changed and both airlines have began hiring female mechanics, cargo handlers as well as pilots in recent years.