Somewhere over the Pacific, the seatback map swings toward Honolulu and the question settles in: which Tokyo airport will this flight actually land at? Three carriers connect Hawaii with the Tokyo area without a stop, one into Haneda and two into Narita. The airline you pick decides where you step off the plane.
Which airlines fly from Honolulu to Tokyo?
Three airlines fly nonstop between Honolulu and the Tokyo area: Delta Air Lines, All Nippon Airways and Zipair Tokyo. Delta lands at Haneda, while All Nippon Airways and Zipair Tokyo both use Narita International Airport. The choice of carrier is therefore also a choice of airport, and that shapes the first hour of your arrival in Japan.
| Airline | Tokyo airport | Other nonstop U.S. cities from that airport |
|---|---|---|
| Delta Air Lines | Haneda | Atlanta, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Seattle/Tacoma |
| All Nippon Airways | Narita | Chicago–O’Hare, Los Angeles, San Francisco |
| Zipair Tokyo | Narita | Houston–Intercontinental, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose (CA) |
Delta into Haneda
Delta is the Honolulu carrier that flies to Haneda, the airport of Tokyo city itself. Japan’s tourism board notes that it is now possible to arrive directly in the heart of Tokyo from international destinations, and Haneda is the reason.
Delta’s Haneda network also reaches Atlanta, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minneapolis/St. Paul and Seattle/Tacoma. If your trip continues beyond Hawaii, or you are coming home by another route, those connections give you room to build an open-jaw itinerary or a different return.
All Nippon Airways and Zipair Tokyo into Narita
All Nippon Airways, Japan’s own carrier, flies Honolulu to Narita, and so does Zipair Tokyo. Both also fly from Narita to Los Angeles and San Francisco, so the mainland connections are shared. All Nippon Airways adds Chicago–O’Hare, with seasonal service to Vancouver.
Zipair Tokyo’s Narita list is longer on the West and the Gulf: Houston–Intercontinental and San Jose, California, join Los Angeles and San Francisco. It also runs charter flights to Orlando. A traveler who plans to fly out of a different U.S. city on the way home can compare these lists before booking the outbound leg.
Flights that keep going inside Japan
Many travelers do not stop in Tokyo at all. From Narita, All Nippon Airways flies on to Nagoya–Centrair, Osaka–Itami and Sapporo–Chitose, and Japan Airlines flies to Nagoya–Centrair and Osaka–Itami. Jetstar Japan covers a long list that includes Fukuoka, Naha, Takamatsu, Matsuyama and Osaka–Kansai, and Peach reaches Ishigaki, Amami Oshima, Kagoshima and Sapporo–Chitose, among others.
From Haneda, Skymark Airlines serves Fukuoka, Kobe, Naha and Sapporo–Chitose, Solaseed Air flies to Kumamoto, Nagasaki and Miyazaki, and StarFlyer connects to Osaka–Kansai and Kitakyushu. Air Do links Haneda with Hokkaido cities such as Hakodate, Asahikawa and Kushiro. Spring Japan, from Narita, serves Hiroshima as well as Hakodate and Sapporo–Chitose.
Where do you land?
You land at Haneda if you fly Delta, and at Narita if you fly All Nippon Airways or Zipair Tokyo. The two airports feel different on arrival, so it helps to know what waits at each.
Haneda Airport
Haneda is the airport of Tokyo city. From the passenger terminal you can search routes, departure and arrival times, and fares for trains, monorails and buses to your destination, so the way into town is laid out in one place.
Taxis come in two kinds of stands, general stands and stands for app-dispatched or reserved taxis. If you arranged a ride through an app or by phone, you go to the dedicated stand for reserved taxis. For those arriving by car, the parking lots P2 through P5 can be reserved in advance through each lot’s own reservation page.
Narita International Airport
Narita sits in Chiba Prefecture, 1 hour by express train from Tokyo. It handles most major international routes along with many domestic ones. Three rail lines serve it: the Narita Sky Access line, the Keisei line and the JR line.
Once you are off the plane, the terminal decides your walk to the station. Terminal 1 is a 5-minute walk from Narita Airport Station, and Terminal 2 is a 5-minute walk from Narita Airport Terminal 2・3 Station. Terminal 3 uses that same station and is a 10-minute walk.
If Tokyo is not your first stop
Kansai International Airport makes it possible to visit Japan without going through Tokyo. It is the gateway to western Japan, serving Kyoto, Osaka, Nara and Wakayama. The airport is about 50 minutes from Shin-Osaka high-speed train station and 1 hour 15 minutes from Kyoto Station.
Nagoya’s Central Japan International Airport, known as Centrair, is the hub for flights to and from cities in Asia and Japan. Both Narita routes of All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines reach it, which makes it a point where a Tokyo arrival can turn into a connection onward.
What do you need for the trip?
For the flight itself you need to decide on three things: which airline, which Tokyo airport, and whether Tokyo is where you want to start. Everything else follows from those choices.
Choosing your airport
Pick Delta if you want to arrive at the airport of Tokyo city and its connections through Atlanta, Detroit, Minneapolis/St. Paul or Seattle/Tacoma matter to you. Pick All Nippon Airways or Zipair Tokyo if Narita suits your plans, and remember that the express train into Tokyo is 1 hour, a figure worth building into your first afternoon.
If your itinerary ends in Osaka, Kyoto or Nara, compare a Tokyo arrival with flying into Kansai. Narita connects to Osaka–Kansai on Jetstar Japan and Peach, and Haneda does so on StarFlyer, so you can also fly in at Tokyo and cross Japan by air.
Planning your arrival on the ground
At Narita, look up which terminal your flight uses before you pick a rail line, since the Terminal 1 station and the Terminal 2・3 station are different stops. At Haneda, use the route search at the passenger terminal to compare trains, monorails and buses by time and fare.
If you plan to pick up a taxi, decide beforehand whether you have arranged it by app or phone, because that determines which of the two stands you walk to. Drivers coming to collect you can reserve spaces in lots P2 through P5 at Haneda ahead of time.
Linking onward flights
A domestic hop can follow the long Pacific crossing. From Narita you can continue to Sapporo–Chitose, Fukuoka, Naha, Hiroshima or Nagoya–Centrair, depending on the airline. From Haneda, Skymark Airlines, Solaseed Air, StarFlyer and Air Do spread out toward Kyushu, Okinawa, Kobe and Hokkaido.
Because the two Tokyo airports have different carriers and different destinations, a connecting flight may push you toward one of them. Matching the domestic destination to the airport before you book the Honolulu leg saves rethinking your arrival later.
Good to know before you go
The U.S. State Department rates Japan Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions.
The route is a straightforward one on paper, but the detail that matters most is the airport: Haneda for Delta, Narita for All Nippon Airways and Zipair Tokyo. Keep your terminal and your onward plan in mind when you choose, and let the airport, rather than the fare alone, set the shape of your first day in Japan.
Sources
- Wikipedia, Haneda Airport, airlines and destinations (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokyo_International_Airport#Airlines_and_destinations), checked October 11, 2026
- Wikipedia, Narita International Airport, airlines and destinations (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narita_International_Airport#Airlines_and_destinations), checked October 11, 2026
- U.S. Department of State, Japan travel advisory (https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/japan-travel-advisory.html)
- Japan National Tourism Organization, how to reach the city from each international airport (https://www.japan.travel/en/plan/airport-access/), checked October 11, 2026
- Japan National Tourism Organization, how to get to Japan, airports, airlines (https://www.japan.travel/en/plan/getting-to-japan/), checked October 11, 2026
- Narita International Airport, Access by rail (https://www.narita-airport.jp/en/access/train/), checked October 11, 2026
- Haneda Airport Passenger Terminal, Access (https://tokyo-haneda.com/en/access/index.html), checked October 11, 2026
To plan your stay
- Best Time to Visit Japan: Cherry Blossoms, Autumn Colors, Weather and Festivals
- Things to Do in Japan: Kyoto Temples, Onsen, Street Food and Day Trips
- Where to Stay in Japan: Ryokan, Temple Stays, Capsule Hotels and the Best Cities to Base In
- Know Before You Go to Japan: Entry, Money, Etiquette and Getting Around