AFTER WINNING ITS BID for the 2020 Summer Olympics, Tokyo now faces the task of accommodating the hundreds of thousands of visitors expected, and Haneda Airport will be a crucial player.

Tokyo International Airport, also known as Haneda Airport, is one of two primary airports serving the Greater Tokyo area, conveniently located less than nine miles from Tokyo Station, the heart of the country’s transportation system. The primary base of Japan’s two major domestic airlines, Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways, Haneda recently ranked No. 1 for the second year running for on-time flights, according to the OAG Punctuality League, with 87.49 percent of flights on schedule.

Prior to 2010, the airport primarily handled domestic flights while Narita International functioned as the hub for international service. However, after a significant expansion project that included a new international terminal, Haneda can now handle up to 90 million passengers per year and offers long-haul, non-stop services to 25 cities in 17 countries. The airport reported 75 million passengers in 2015, making it the third-busiest airport in Asia and the fifth-busiest in the world.

Following Tokyo’s winning bid to host the 2020 Olympic Games, the government announced several expansion and improvement projects for Haneda, including increased slot capacity and a new railway line linking Haneda and Tokyo Station in only 18 minutes. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport is also planning a new road tunnel between Haneda’s domestic and international terminals to shorten minimum connection time.

In the past, strict airspace restrictions, due to the airport’s location between Yokota Air Base to the west and Narita International to the east, complicated Haneda’s expansion plans. Because of these restrictions and noise concerns, Haneda’s flights are usually required to fly higher or are forced to detour, causing significant air traffic congestion.

Haneda Airport received long-awaited approval last month from the United States government to establish new commercial flight routes in U.S-controlled airspace over Haneda in order to increase services before 2020.

In preparation for the Olympics, Japan plans to expand annual arrival and departure slots at Haneda by up to 39,000 from the current 447,000. It’s also planning four new routes, three of which can now utilize the U.S-controlled airspace. Japan Airlines recently announced the launch of a New York (JFK)–Tokyo (HND) service, set to begin April 1. Plans are also in place to add a new arrival corridor over Western Tokyo and a new departure corridor over Yokohama, Kawasaki and Central Tokyo, which will require new taxiways.

For many, Haneda is the preferred Tokyo airport for its proximity to the city and its innovations in technology and customer service. In 2016 the airport launched a series of customer service robots able to detect their surroundings to point lost travelers in the right direction throughout the airport.

Despite its airspace challenges and restrictions, Haneda has made strides in recent years and is poised for growth ahead of the 2020 Summer Olympics.