Jul 1, 2018 - 2 min read

Haneda Airport Terminal 2

Plane spotter’s paradise part 2

By Steve Morton

Community writer

The first thing to impress me with this terminal was how spacious everything appeared to be

Within this terminal building are several impressive displays including this one that features Samurai Armor

Without hanging around I made my way up to the observation deck

I soon noticed how much closer the airplanes seemed to be in this terminal. This is because Terminal Two is located closer to the runways than Terminal One

‘Killing three birds with one stone’! Thanks to some lucky timing I was able to capture three airplanes within a single shot. While the top airplane is landing the other two are in ‘taxi’. Please also note the colorful airplane on the bottom left!

A landing ANA Airlines Airplane. Take note of the Tokyo Skyline in the background

Although Terminal Two is primarily a hub for ANA, (All Nippon Airlines) several other smaller airlines operate from here including Solaseed Air

Another one of Terminal Two’s smaller Airlines is the Hokkaido based carrier Air-Do which works operates in collaboration with ANA. This airplane’s colorful design depicts various images associated with Hokkaido

Having recently visited Haneda’s Terminal One building several weeks ago for a bit of ‘plan spotting’, I was determined to see how it’s neighboring terminal compared in terms of facilities and of course, its flight observation deck.

While Terminal One is used primarily for Japan Airlines (JAL), Terminal Two houses Japan’s second largest airline ANA (All Nippon Airways), plus some other smaller carriers including Air Do, Solaseed Air and Star Flyer.

Immediately upon entering this terminal, I was impressed by its layout and how spacious everything appeared to be. Although consisting of only 5 floors (as opposed to Terminal One’s six floors), Terminal Two feels totally different and looks more modern. This is thanks largely to its many glass structures and clever design which give the illusion of open space.

For me however, the all important question was which of the two domestic terminals boasted the best observation desk?

Situated on the 5^th floor, Terminal Two’s observation deck consists of two outside sections plus a central area that is covered in glass. All of these sections are conveniently interconnected and have several impressive cafes and restaurants, offering a decent menu along with a great place to relax as well as being able to do a bit of ‘plan spotting’ in comfort.

In conclusion, Terminal Two wins hands down in pretty much every aspect, especially in regard to its observation deck. While Terminal One has some rather somewhat restricted views, Terminal Two’s observation deck allows you to get a much closer look of the runways