is located on the island of

Shimojishima , (Miyakoan language, Miyako: ''Sïmuzï'') is one of the Miyako Islands, a part of the Ryukyu Islands. The island is administered by Miyakojima, Okinawa, Miyakojima, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. The island is connected to Irabu Island via . Shim ...

Miyakojima is the largest and the most populous island among the Miyako Islands of Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. Miyako Island is administered as part of the City of Miyakojima, which includes not only Miyako Island, but also five other populated islands. ...

Okinawa Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi). Naha is the capital and largest city o ...

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 north ...

. It has the longest runway of any island in Japan south of the main island of Okinawa. Mitsubishi has built a

low cost carrier terminal A low-cost carrier terminal or LCCT (also known as a budget terminal) is a specific type of airport terminal designed with the needs of low-cost airlines in mind. Though terminals may have differing charges and costs, as is common in Europe, the con ...

which began operating passenger flights in March 2019. The prefecture operates the airport, which has been classified as a Third Class airport (otherwise known as a Type-3) since May 1979.

History

The airport, also known as Shimoji Airport, was originally built as a 'training airport' for commercial pilots, with a secondary role as a (planned) alternative landing site for intercontinental

supersonic Supersonic speed is the speed of an object that exceeds the speed of sound ( Mach 1). For objects traveling in dry air of a temperature of 20 °C (68 °F) at sea level, this speed is approximately . Speeds greater than five times ...

airliners An airliner is a type of aircraft for transporting passengers and air cargo. Such aircraft are most often operated by airlines. Although the definition of an airliner can vary from country to country, an airliner is typically defined as an ...

. It was completed in 1971, a year before

Okinawa is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi). Naha is the capital and largest city ...

reverted to Japanese control."JASDF wants fighters deployed to Shimoji Island"
Japan Update, January 2013 Edition It was officially opened in July 1973, initially as a private airport. On July 22, 1994

Japan Transocean Air , or JTA, is an airline based in Naha, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. It operates domestic services on behalf of Japan Airlines. Its main base is Naha Airport. From 1967 until 1993, the airline was known as ''Southwest Air Lines''. History ...

suspended flights. From 2001 onwards, the U.S. Marine Corps occasionally used the airport as a stopover point for helicopters and tanker aircraft involved in regional exercises. In 2004, there were some protests over the use of the airport as a refueling stop by

USMC The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through co ...

helicopters returning from an exercise in the Philippines. Adding to concerns were reports that the airport was being looked at in connection with a new base for units that were to be displaced by the planned relocation of the Futenma base. The airport is currently listed as a CSL (Cooperative Security Location) by the US DOD. As of 2005, the airport was in use as a training facility for

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 ...

and

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 mo ...

. The long runway makes the facility well-suited for "

touch-and-go landing In aviation, a touch-and-go landing (TGL) or circuit is a maneuver that is common when learning to fly a fixed-wing aircraft. It involves landing on a runway and taking off again without coming to a full stop. Usually the pilot then circles the a ...

" practice maneuvers. In the same year, the then local ( Irabu Town) assembly submitted a proposal to the then

Defense Agency The is an executive department of the Government of Japan responsible for preserving the peace and independence of Japan, and maintaining the country’s national security and the Japan Self-Defense Forces. The ministry is headed by the ...

, requesting that the JASDF take over the airport as one of their bases. In 2010, there were renewed protests against proposals to turn Shimoji Airport into a permanent USMC post. As of early 2013, serious consideration was being given to basing a detachment of

JASDF The , , also informally referred to as the Japanese Air Force, is the air and space branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, responsible for the defense of Japanese airspace, other air and space operations, cyberwarfare and electronic warfare. ...

F-15J fighters out of the Airport, in order to provide better air defense coverage over the

Senkaku Islands The are a group of uninhabited islands in the East China Sea, administered by Japan. They are located northeast of Taiwan, east of China, west of Okinawa Island, and north of the southwestern end of the Ryukyu Islands. They are known in main ...

."To Counter China, Defense Ministry Considering F-15s at Civilian Airport"
''Japan Security Watch'' The airport already has a 'shadow designation' as Shimoji Air Base as part of its Type-3 status.

Airlines and destinations

Popular culture

In the anime

Stratos 4 is a Japanese anime television series by Studio Fantasia and Bandai Visual, and directed by Takeshi Mori. Story Fifty years before the series begins, scientists learn that a group of comets will enter the Solar System on a collision cours ...

, set in an alternate timeline, Shimojishima Airport had become Shimoji Airbase sometime after the year 1984. This is home to the Shimoji MS (Meteor Sweeper) Squadron, part of an international planetary defence organisation.

References

External links

Shimojijima Airport

Miyako Shimojishima Airport Terminal
* * {{Japanese airports Airports in Okinawa Japan Air Self-Defense Force bases Japan Self-Defense Forces