In a packet forwarding apparatus including first line interfaces accommodating user terminals, a second line interface connected to a communication node on a session management apparatus side, and a protocol processing unit for updating a connection management table and a header information table when a specific session control packet is received from one of the first line interfaces. Upon receiving a real-time packet from one of the first line interfaces, if a table entry corresponding to the header information of the received packet has been registered in the connection management table, the control unit routes the received packet to one of the first line interfaces after rewriting its header information based on the header information table, and if the table entry has not been registered, the control unit routes the received packet as it is to the second line interface.