North Asia’s Changing Aviation Face

In 1990, just eight city-pairs and 59 frequencies connected Japan and China. Tokyo Narita with its single runway dominated traffic flows in a highly regulated North Asia. Korea’s airlines were in disarray or too small to register. China was yet to deliver on its promise and Northwest Airlines and the 747 ruled the North Pacific routes into Asia through Japan. Two decades later the landscape is barely recognizable. Each week well over 630 flights connect more than 60 Chinese and ...