Star Alliance opens exclusive terminal in Tokyo

The Star Alliance group of airlines serving Narita Airport near Tokyo began integrated operations at a newly opened terminal yesterday, promising shorter connection times between member carriers.

The world's biggest airline network, which consists of 18 carriers including Korea's Asiana Airlines Co., plans a similar co-location at Incheon Airport in 2008. Star Alliance-branded terminals are also scheduled to open in Bangkok later this year - as well as in London Heathrow, Los Angeles, Miami, Madrid and Paris - to boost customer service and brand image.

"This is the first co-location at a major airport facility in Asia but is certainly not to be the last," said Star Alliance chief executive Jaan Albrecht at a joint news conference with heads of member carriers in Narita. "We are working with carriers and airport authorities in other Asian cities who recognize the value of the initiative."

Eight carriers - Asiana, Air Canada, All Nippon Airways, Lufthansa German Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways, United Airlines and Shanghai Airlines - have agreed to bring their counters "under one roof" at Incheon Airport by July 2008, according to Asiana's Star Alliance team.

In Narita, the south wing of Terminal 1, which was recently rebuilt at a cost of $622 million, now accommodates 10 members of the group led by Japan's ANA. Under the "one roof" strategy, the carriers share a check-in area on the departure floor which is divided according to class of travel rather than airline.

Minimum connection times are to be reduced from 110 minutes to 45 minutes for international flights, Star Alliance said. The refurbished terminal also boasts high-end facilities such as self-service check-in units which allow passengers to issue their own boarding cards and select seats.

"The Narita airport complex embodies a vision of international aviation in which Star members work together to improve efficiency and better serve our customers," said Glenn Tilton, chairman and chief executive of United Airlines, founding member of Star Alliance. Naming Tokyo, Shanghai and Hong Kong as Asia's potential hubs, he noted that only one of them will qualify eventually.

"Where regulators have allowed it, market-driven integration across borders has been a success," Tilton said during his speech to the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan on Thursday. "To promote market stability, carriers should be able to invest in each other and to consolidate where the market so dictates, with safety and security uncompromised."

The 18 Star Alliance member airlines and three regional carriers serve more than 425 million passengers a year with a modern combined fleet of more than 2,800 aircraft.

The Korea Herald