Narita Airport taxiway to be equipped with LED markers
by Yomiuri Shimbun
NARITA, Chiba--Narita International Airport Corp. (NAA) has begun installing green light-emitting diodes to mark a Narita Airport taxiway following complaints from pilots about the complexity of taxiing between the terminals and runways. It has begun embedding 42 LEDs along the centerline of the 340-meter-long Taxiway K, which is located near Terminal 1. The LEDs are expected to be ready to be switched on as early as next month, making the path airplanes need to take when taxiing easier to follow. The airport, located in Narita, Chiba Prefecture, will mark its 30th anniversary in May.
The NAA has received many requests from aviation companies to make Narita's taxiways, which form a U-shape around the airport's two terminals, easier to navigate. About 530 planes take off and land every day at the airport. Currently, pilots taxi their aircraft from the terminals to the runways and vice versa by following instructions given by an air-traffic controller. During daylight hours, pilots also can follow taxiway signs, while at night illuminated signs and taxiway lights mark the way. Protests against the building and extension of the airport, which have continued for more than 40 years, have resulted in facilities not being constructed according to the original plans.
Some taxiways lead to dead ends due to changes of plans caused by such things as the unfinished acquisition of land. In addition, repeated extensions to existing taxiways have resulted in a maze of paths. In 2002, two planes scraped each other near the entrance of the temporary second runway. In 2004, two planes found themselves facing each other, also near the second runway.
The airport has a reputation among pilots for being difficult to taxi. One senior Japanese pilot said: "After landing, Narita Airport requires much more attention compared to other airports. You can lose your way if you're not accustomed to the airport."
The NAA said it would be easier for the pilots to locate the taxiway thanks to the bright-green LEDs it is installing.