The operator of Narita airport near Tokyo said Thursday its terminal for budget airlines will be expanded to address congestion, with the total area to be doubled by March 2022.

The expansion of Narita's Terminal 3 will increase the capacity from the current 7.5 million passengers to 15 million a year, said Narita International Airport Corp., or NAA.

"Low-cost carriers have captured more-than-expected demand of passengers. We want to contribute to the growth," NAA President Makoto Natsume told a press conference.

The extended terminal will be built at the site of Japan Airlines Co.'s cargo facility currently located next to the terminal. JAL has broadly agreed to move the cargo facility elsewhere, according to the Narita operator and other sources.

The current Terminal 3, opened in April 2015, comprises a three-story main building and a two-story satellite facility, with a total floor space of roughly 66,000 square meters. It is used by five budget airlines.

Low-cost carriers accounted for 30.7 percent of total passenger flights at Narita airport, including terminals 1 and 2, from Oct. 29, 2017 to March 24 this year, up from 11.5 percent in the same period in 2013 and 2014, the operator said.