Narita International Airport Corporation (NAA) has announced plans to construct a new cargo building — Cargo Building No. 8 — at the Narita Cargo Terminal Area to address the current dispersed cargo facilities at the major Japanese hub.

NAA said ANA will lease Cargo Building No. 8 and begin service in October 2024.

As ANA's largest cargo warehouse, the facility will have a total area of approximately 61,000 m2, with the warehouse area compromising approximately 38,000 m2.

 [Source: Narita International Airport Corporation]

NAA noted that ANA has been utilizing six cargo warehouses at Narita Airport to meet the robust demand for cargo transportation.

To accommodate future demand, ANA will consolidate its cargo warehouses into two adjacent locations: the existing Cargo Building No. 7 and the newly constructed Cargo Building No. 8.

The move will improve the efficiencies of the handling system, secure sufficient space, and further enhance the quality of cargo handling.

Boost to Narita's role as an Asian cargo hub

"NAA and ANA will utilize Cargo Building No. 8 to enhance Narita Airport's role as an Asian gateway and bolster the international competitiveness of cargo by strengthening both exports and imports to and from Japan," the statement said.

Cargo Building No. 8 will facilitate the export, import, and cargo between Asia and North America and domestic cargo.

"By consolidating warehouses, cargo delivery to/from customers can be completed in a single warehouse. Cargo between Asia and North America can arrive and depart from the same warehouse, shortening the connection time and improving the convenience of demand between Asia and North America," NAA said.

The announcement said Automated guided vehicles (AGV) will be introduced in the warehouse to automate cargo transfer and storage operations.

The implementation of digital technology will enhance work efficiency and reduce labour.

Meanwhile, it added that this will also expand the warehouse facilities of ANA after it previously obtained IATA's CEIV Pharma certification in 2017 and CEIV Fresh certification in 2023.

"ANA provides high-quality services to its customers by providing facilities that adhere to CEIV certification standards," the statement said.

"ANA will expand its animal and valuables storage facilities to meet a wide range of transportation demands."

The new warehouse space will also be effectively utilized by installing automated unit load devices (ULD) racks, expanding the storage space for cargo received from customers, and automating the transportation and storage of ULDs to improve operational quality and reduce labour.

NAA established "Sustainable NRT2050" in 2021, aiming to reduce CO2 emissions from Narita Airport by 50% (compared to FY2015) by FY2050.

As part of its decarbonization efforts, NAA aims to attain Net Zero Energy Building (ZEB) *1 certification for newly constructed buildings in accordance with Building-Housing Energy-efficiency Labeling System (BELS)*2.

On July 28, 2023, Cargo Building No. 8 achieved the "ZEB Oriented" certification, a certification from the Japan Ministry of the Environment, by adopting high-efficiency air conditioning equipment and building materials with high thermal insulation performance.

Additionally, NAA will install a photovoltaic power generation system to create energy in Cargo Building No. 8.

NAA noted that a new cargo gate with direct access to the cargo terminal area will also be constructed close to Cargo Building No. 8, which is expected to improve access.