is a joint civil-military public
airport
An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial air transport. Airports usually consists of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surfa ...
in
Matsushige,
Tokushima
is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Shikoku. Tokushima Prefecture has a population of 728,633 (1 October 2019) and has a geographic area of 4,146 km2 (1,601 sq mi). Tokushima Prefecture borders Kagawa Prefecture to the nort ...
,
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...
, near the city of
Tokushima
is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Shikoku. Tokushima Prefecture has a population of 728,633 (1 October 2019) and has a geographic area of 4,146 km2 (1,601 sq mi). Tokushima Prefecture borders Kagawa Prefecture to the nort ...
.
In addition to scheduled passenger operations, the airport is the base of the
Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force
, abbreviated , also simply known as the Japanese Navy, is the maritime warfare branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, tasked with the naval defense of Japan. The JMSDF was formed following the dissolution of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJ ...
Tokushima Air Training Group of
202nd Naval Air Training Squadron equipped with
Beechcraft TC-90. There are also
UH-60J
The Mitsubishi H-60 series is twin- turboshaft engine helicopter based on the Sikorsky S-70 helicopter family for use by the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF). The SH-60J/K/L are anti-submarine patrol versions for the Japan Maritime Self-Defense ...
Search and Rescue aircraft of one flight which detached from JMSDF 72 Squadron. As a result, it is the busiest airport in
Shikoku
is the smallest of the four main islands of Japan. It is long and between wide. It has a population of 3.8 million (, 3.1%). It is south of Honshu and northeast of Kyushu. Shikoku's ancient names include ''Iyo-no-futana-shima'' (), '' ...
by aircraft operations, with around 15,000 takeoffs and landings each year. The
Japan Ground Self-Defense Force
The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force ( ja, 陸上自衛隊, Rikujō Jieitai), , also referred to as the Japanese Army, is the land warfare branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces. Created on July 1, 1954, it is the largest of the three service b ...
established the 14 Squadron flying at least two
Fuji UH-1J and one
Kawasaki OH-6D by mid-April 2010 at the airport.
History
Tokushima Airport opened as an
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN; Kyūjitai: Shinjitai: ' 'Navy of the Greater Japanese Empire', or ''Nippon Kaigun'', 'Japanese Navy') was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945, when it was dissolved following Japan's surrender ...
air base in 1941.
The current runway was completed in 1987; it was extended to , with projected completion in 2010.
The airport has had scheduled service to
Kagoshima
, abbreviated to , is the capital city of Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. Located at the southwestern tip of the island of Kyushu, Kagoshima is the largest city in the prefecture by some margin. It has been nicknamed the "Naples of the Eastern wor ...
(1997–98),
Kansai
The or the , lies in the southern-central region of Japan's main island Honshu, Honshū. The region includes the Prefectures of Japan, prefectures of Nara Prefecture, Nara, Wakayama Prefecture, Wakayama, Kyoto Prefecture, Kyoto, Osaka Prefectur ...
(briefly in 2000), and
Osaka/Itami (until 2003). There are 12 scheduled flights per day.
On April 13, 2006,
Skymark Airlines discontinued its flights to Tokyo International Airport (Haneda) leaving
Japan Airlines
, also known as JAL (''Jaru'') or , is an international airline and Japan's flag carrier and largest airline as of 2021 and 2022, headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo. Its main hubs are Tokyo's Narita International Airport and Haneda Airport, as w ...
as the sole carrier to Tokyo. In response to Skymark's exit, Japan Airlines increased the number of flights between the two cities. Since Tokyo-Haneda opened its fourth runway,
All Nippon Airways
, also known as ANA (''Ē-enu-ē'') or is an airline in Japan. Its headquarters are located in Shiodome City Center in the Shiodome area of Minato ward of Tokyo. It operates services to both domestic and international destinations and had m ...
announced the resumption of service to Tokyo.
A new passenger terminal opened in the first quarter of 2010.
An international terminal facility with a dedicated boarding bridge and waiting area opened in January 2018, mainly to accommodate charter flights from China.
ShinMaywa Industries, Ltd. maintains a plant (primarily aircraft modification and refurbishment) at the airport. The plant also provides components for the
Gulfstream G550
The Gulfstream G550 is a business jet aircraft produced by General Dynamics' Gulfstream Aerospace unit in Savannah, Georgia, US. The certification designation is GV-SP. A version with reduced fuel capacity was marketed as the G500. Gulfstre ...
V-SPand
Kawasaki P-1.
Airlines and destinations
Statistics
Accidents and Incidents
*On April 5th, 2015,
Japan Airlines
, also known as JAL (''Jaru'') or , is an international airline and Japan's flag carrier and largest airline as of 2021 and 2022, headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo. Its main hubs are Tokyo's Narita International Airport and Haneda Airport, as w ...
Flight 455, a
Boeing 767-346 carrying 67 passengers and crews, was forced to initiate a
Go-around
In aviation, a go-around is an aborted landing of an aircraft that is on final approach or has already touched down. A go-around can either be initiated by the pilot flying or requested by air traffic control for various reasons, such as an unsta ...
after touching down as the pilot noticed there was a vehicle inside the runway. Investigations by the
Japan Transport Safety Board
The is Japan's authority for establishing transportation safety. It is a division of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT). It is housed in the in Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
The agency formed on Octob ...
later revealed that the single air traffic controller of the
Japan Maritime Self Defense Force in charge at the time neglected protocols and allowed the vehicle on to the runway 10 minutes before he approved the landing of the 767.
References
External links
*
{{authority control
Airports in Japan
Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force bases
Japan Ground Self-Defense Force bases
Transport in Tokushima Prefecture
Buildings and structures in Tokushima Prefecture
Airports established in 1941
1941 establishments in Japan