Spotting Report: Catching Up with Tokyo Haneda Traffic

Spotting Report: Catching Up with Traffic at Tokyo Haneda

As I had some time yesterday, and the weather was pretty much perfect, I decided to head to Haneda airport in the afternoon. It had been a while since I last visited the airport for a prolonged spotting session, and so there were some new sights to shoot.

Terminal 2 Observation Deck

After arrival, I headed to Terminal 2’s observation deck. The terminal features two decks – one on the northern and one on the southern side. Both of them offer great views of the part of the apron used by ANA, as well as of runway 34R/16L and the taxiways leading to it.

There was, of course, plenty of traffic from the two Japanese giants – ANA and JAL – throughout my stay.

[full_width padding=”10px 10px 10px 10px”]ANA All Nippon Airways Boeing 787-8

ANA Boeing 787 and 777 getting ready for departure with Tokyo Sky Tree in the background.

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[one_third padding=”010px 10px 10px 10px”]ANA All Nippon Airways Boeing 787-8

The same 787 taxiing to the active runway.

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[one_third padding=”010px 10px 10px 10px”]JAL Japan Airlines Boeing 777-200

JAL Boeing 777-200 landing on 34R.

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[one_third_last padding=”010px 10px 10px 10px”]ANA All Nippon Airways Airbus A320-200

ANA Airbus A320-200 ready for departure.

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However, the fun started when the Delta Air Lines 777-200 arrived from Minneapolis. While it is not unusual to see Delta aircraft in Tokyo or at Haneda, it is only from this winter’s schedule that they started arriving at Haneda in daylight. As such, it was a slightly strange feeling seeing the aircraft with Tokyo Bay in the background.

Similar feelings applied to a United Airlines 777-200 that arrived twenty minutes later.

[one_half padding=”010px 10px 10px 10px”]Delta Air Lines Boeing 777-200

Delta Air Lines Boeing 777-200 arriving from Minneapolis.

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[one_half_last padding=”010px 10px 10px 10px”]United Airlines Boeing 777-200

United Airlines Boeing 777-200 arriving from San Francisco.

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Between the two American T7s, an aircraft that I was hoping to catch – the Bear Do Hokkaido Jet special livery of Air Do – arrived. While I boarded that aircraft for what was supposed to be its first flight, due to a fault, we turned back before taking off, and our aircraft was changed into a normal livery one. This was the first time I had the chance to photograph the aircraft in good conditions.

[full_width padding=”10px 10px 10px 10px”]Air Do Boeing 767-300 Bear Do Hokkaido Jet

Bear Do Hokkaido Jet – a special livery Boeing 767-300 of Air Do – taxiing to gate after arrival.

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International Terminal Observation Deck

With the two Americans landing on 34R and the Bear Do caught, there was not much more going on on the Terminal 2 side of the airport. As such, I headed to the International Terminal which offers an excellent observation deck as well.

The first catch there was an Air Canada 777-300 that was arriving in Tokyo after maintenance in Singapore. It encountered troubles with its landing gear door, and circled for a while trying to solve the problem. In the end, however, it had to land with the landing gear door open. I never realized how large the door was until I saw a person standing next to it!

[full_width padding=”10px 10px 10px 10px”]Air Canada Boeing 777-300

Air Canada Boeing 777-300 slowing down on runway 34L.

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[one_half padding=”010px 10px 10px 10px”]Air Canada Boeing 777-300

…and taxiing to its parking spot.

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[one_half_last padding=”010px 10px 10px 10px”]Air Canada Boeing 777-300

Gear door trouble.

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A couple of regular movements followed including an arrival of JAL 777-300 on runway 34L, and departure of China Southern Airlines A330-200 and Philippine Airlines A330-300. There was also a Gulfstream that entered a spot right in front of us after its arrival.

[one_half padding=”010px 10px 10px 10px”]JAL Japan Airlines Boeing 777-300

Japan Airlines Boeing 777-300 with 2020 Olympics sticker.

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[one_half_last padding=”010px 10px 10px 10px”]China Southern Airlines Airbus A330-200

China Southern Airlines Airbus A330-200.

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[one_half padding=”010px 10px 10px 10px”]Philippine Airlines Airbus A330-300

Philippines Airlines Airbus A330-300.

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[one_half_last padding=”010px 10px 10px 10px”]Gulfstream

Gulfstream taxiing to its parking spot.

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As there was not much going on, I decided to wait until the arrival of Singapore Airlines Airbus A350-900, and then called it a day.

[one_half padding=”010px 10px 10px 10px”]Singapore Airlines Airbus A350-900

Singapore Airlines A350-900 landing on runway 34L.

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[one_half_last padding=”010px 10px 10px 10px”]Singapore Airlines Airbus A350-900

…and entering the apron in front of International Terminal.

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[full_width padding=”10px 10px 10px 10px”]Singapore Airlines Airbus A350-900

Singapore Airlines Airbus A350-900 taxiing into its parking spot.

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