[Structural Critique] - Komatsu Airport Route Reorganization - Regional Airport Compound Growth Filling the Gap of Reduced Haneda Flights with Taiwan, South Korea, Fukuoka, and Sapporo!!

🟧Introduction | The headline is strong, but the content is a combination of factors

The Nikkei reported on June 18 that while the number of international passengers at Komatsu Airport is set to reach a record high in fiscal year 2025, domestic flights are becoming dependent on Fukuoka and Sapporo due to a reduction in Haneda flights.

The headline is very strong.
However, if you look at the content carefully, it is not a simple case of international flights doing well and domestic flights doing poorly.

The international flight growth is not due to the return of Chinese routes. Shanghai flights have been completely suspended since December 2025 due to the deterioration of Japan-China relations. Even so, Taiwan, South Korea, and Hong Kong have grown, with international passengers reaching approximately 247,000, accounting for a record 16.8% of the total.

On the other hand, while domestic Haneda flights have decreased, some of that has been offset by an increase in Fukuoka and Sapporo flights.

In other words, Komatsu Airport should not be read as having grown due to a single factor, but as a compound growth where the recovery of international flights, demand from Taiwan and South Korea, the revival of Hong Kong flights, and ANA's route reallocation have all overlapped.

🔵Chapter 1 | The significance of international flights reaching a record high despite the cancellation of China flights