Okadama Airport

Sapporo Okadama Airport (札幌丘珠空港, Sapporo Okadama Kūkō) (IATA: OKD, ICAO: RJCO) is an airport located in Okadama-chō, Higashi-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 4 NM (7.4 km; 4.6 mi) north[2] of the city center of Sapporo. Its scheduled airline service is limited to turboprop flights to other cities in Hokkaidō; larger aircraft use New Chitose Airport, 45 km (28 mi) south of the city. The airport is also used by the Japan Self-Defense Forces and by corporate and general aviation operators: an adjacent facility houses the air traffic control center for Hokkaido and the Tohoku region. The airport houses the headquarters of Hokkaido Air System.[3]

Sapporo Okadama Airport

札幌丘珠空港

Sapporo Okadama Kūkō
Summary
Airport typePublic / Dual-use
Operator Japan Ground Self-Defense Force
Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism
ServesSapporo
LocationHigashi-ku, Sapporo
Hub forHokkaido Air System
Elevation AMSL26 ft / 8 m
Coordinates43°07′03″N 141°22′53″E
Websitewww.okadama-airport.co.jp
Map
RJCO
Location in Hokkaidō
RJCO
Location in Japan
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
14/32 1,500 4,921 Asphalt
Statistics (2015)
Passengers175,846
Cargo (metric tonnes)4
Aircraft movement15,397

History

Okadama was constructed between 1942 and 1944 as an airfield for the Imperial Japanese Army. Following Japan's surrender to the United States in 1945, ending World War II, the United States Army Air Forces took over the airfield, using it as a training base until the end of the US occupation in 1952. Following the occupation, the field reverted to the Japan Self-Defense Forces.[4]

Scheduled civilian passenger operations began in June 1956 when North Japan Airlines (later Japan Domestic Airlines, Toa Domestic Airlines and Japan Air System) began service to Memanbetsu. All Nippon Airways began service to Okadama in 1966.[4] These airlines operated propeller service at the airport through the mid-1970s, chiefly using NAMC YS-11 turboprops. Although the airport's main runway was extended from 1,000 to 1,500 m in 1967, most scheduled traffic migrated to New Chitose Airport which was better equipped to handle larger jet aircraft.[5] In 1974, Toa ceased operations at Okadama and ANA established a new subsidiary, Air Nippon, to handle YS-11 flights at the airport. ANA later replaced its YS-11s with quieter Bombardier Dash 8 turboprops.

In 1995, the city of Sapporo proposed extending the runway to 2,000 m in order to allow jet service at Okadama. This plan met protests from neighboring residents, and was abandoned in 1996. In 1998, local residents agreed to an extension of the runway to 1,500 m in exchange for a cap of 44 daily takeoffs and landings.[5]

ANA, which accounted for 80% of passenger traffic at Okadama, ceased Okadama operations in 2010, leaving JAL affiliate Hokkaido Air System as the airport's only scheduled carrier.[5] The airport terminal (operated by a company 26% owned by the Sapporo government) operated at a slight profit until fiscal year 2009, but the departure of ANA group traffic drove its finances into a net loss.[6] HAS continues to serve the airport using Saab 340 turboprops.

In November 2013, Fuji Dream Airlines operated a regional jet charter to Okadama from Komaki Airport in Nagoya, the first passenger jet service in the airport's history.[5]

Airlines and destinations
AirlinesDestinations
Fuji Dream Airlines Seasonal: Matsumoto, Shizuoka
Japan Airlines
operated by Hokkaido Air System 		Hakodate, Kushiro, Misawa, Rishiri

JGSDF units
  • Northern Air Corps Headquarters (Beechcraft King Air 350)
  • Northern Helicopter Corps (H-6, UH-1)
  • No. 7 Division Airborne
  • No. 11 Division Airborne

Ground transportation
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References
  1. "Okadama Airport" (PDF). Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 October 2016. Retrieved 7 January 2017.
  2. AIS Japan
  3. 会社概要. Hokkaido Air System. Retrieved August 30, 2011. 〒007-0880　札幌市東区丘珠町 丘珠空港内
  4. "空港概要". Sapporo Okadama Airport Bld. Co., Ltd. Retrieved 18 November 2013.
  5. "歓迎と騒音不安の声が交錯　札幌・丘珠空港に初のジェット旅客機". 北海道新聞. 17 November 2013. Archived from the original on 18 November 2013. Retrieved 18 November 2013.
  6. "丘珠空港ビル、経営なお厳しく". 日本経済新聞. 31 March 2010. Retrieved 10 September 2013.

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