Kitakyushu Airport

Kitakyushu Airport 北九州空港 Kitakyūshū-kūkō
IATA: KKJ – ICAO: RJFR
Summary
Airport type	Public
Operator	Ministry of Transport (airfield) Kitakyushu Air Terminal Co. (terminal)
Serves	Kitakyushu, Japan
Hub for	StarFlyer
Elevation AMSL	21 ft / 6 m
Coordinates
Map
RJFR Location in Japan
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 18/36 2,500 8,202 Asphalt/Concrete
Source: Japanese AIP at AIS Japan

Kitakyushu Airport (北九州空港, Kitakyūshū-kūkō) (IATA: KKJ, ICAO: RJFR) is an airport in Kokuraminami-ku, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Japan. It is built on an artificial island in the western Seto Inland Sea, 3 km (1.9 mi) away from the main body of the city. It opened on March 16, 2006, as New Kitakyushu Airport (新北九州空港, Shin-kitakyūshū-kūkō) but was renamed in 2008. It is designated a second class airport, and it has some international charter flights.

It is the fourth airport in Japan to begin operating 24 hours a day, after New Chitose International Airport (Sapporo), Kansai International Airport (Osaka), and Chūbu Centrair International Airport (Nagoya).

History

The former Kitakyushu Airport had restrictions on aircraft operation due to its small size and location, close to mountains and residential areas. Heavy fog often resulted in flight cancellations. There were similar problems at the nearby Fukuoka Airport, which cannot engage in nighttime operations due to proximity to residential areas.

A new airport was intended to be free from such problems due to its offshore location, making possible 24-hour operation. Large cargo planes can use the airport, making possible convenient freight movement to and from nearby industrial zones. Toyota has a factory just across the bay from the airport.

Construction

A committee to promote the construction of the new airport was founded in 1978, with the governor of Fukuoka as chairman. Construction began in October 1994.

The new airport was anticipated by residents in and around the cities of Kitakyushu and Shimonoseki. The Kitakyushu municipal government organized bus tours to the construction site for interested citizens in an attempt to defuse controversy over the construction. The airport officially opened on March 16, 2006.

Flights

File:StarFlyer Airbus A320-200 at New Kitakyushu airport.jpg

StarFlyer Airbus A320-200 at the airport

The first aircraft to land at the airport was a StarFlyer Airbus on March 26, 2006. The first international flight from Shanghai landed on March 30, 2006. A Korean low-cost carrier, Jeju Air, flew eight charter flights from Kitakyushu to Incheon International Airport in summer 2008. Scheduled service on the route started in March 2009.

Events

Several events were held to commemorate the opening of the airport. A marathon was held on February 5, 2006 with half-marathon, 10 kilometre and five kilometre courses to celebrate the opening of the new airport. On June 4, 2006, a rugby game was played at Honjo Stadium between Japan and Tonga as part of the inaugural IRB Pacific 5 Nations series.

On August 2, 2006, the one-millionth user of the airport was presented with souvenirs. By July 11, 2007, 3 million passengers had used the airport.

Dimensions

The runway is 2,500 by 60 m (8,202 by 197 ft) (with a separate taxiway of 2,500 by 30 m (8,202 by 98 ft)), enough to accommodate Boeing 747s and other large jet aircraft. The manmade island on which the airport is built is 4,125 m (13,533 ft) long and 900 m (2,953 ft) wide (3.73 km² (1.44 sq mi)). Due to the island's size and the relative shallowness of the surrounding water, which is about 7 m (23 ft) in depth, future expansion is possible.

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

File:New Kitakyushu Airport terminal interior.jpg

Terminal lobby seen from the departure lounge

Airlines	Destinations
Fuji Dream Airlines	Nagoya-Komaki
Japan Airlines	Tokyo-Haneda
StarFlyer	Tokyo-Haneda

Seasonal charter

Airlines	Destinations
China Airlines	Taipei-Taoyuan
Dragonair	Hong Kong
Far Eastern Air Transport	Taipei-Taoyuan
Hong Kong Airlines	Hong Kong
Tianjin Airlines	Dalian
TransAsia Airways	Taipei-Taoyuan

Cargo

Airlines	Destinations
Nippon Cargo Airlines	Tokyo-Narita

Other facilities

File:STAR FLYER Honsya.JPG

StarFlyer headquarters

The airline StarFlyer has its head office on the airport property.

Access

File:Kitakyushu Airport Access Bridge 1010074.jpg

Bridge to Kitakyushu Airport

A 2.1 km toll-free bridge connects the island to the Higashikyūshū Expressway via the Kanda-Kitakyushukūkō interchange. A direct rail link from Kokura Station, 15 km away, may be established depending on demand.

Airport buses ferry passengers to and from nearby rail stations and bus terminals:

• Sunatsu, via Kokura Station Bus Center (non-stop service between Kokura Station Bus Center and the airport)
• Wakamatsu Station via Tobata Station and Kokura Station North Exit bus stop and Kokura Station Bus Center
• Mukaida bus depot via Kitakyushu Science and Research Park, Orio Station West Exit bus stop, and Kurosaki Bus Center adjacent to Kurosaki Station
• Shimonoseki Station via Retro Sambashi Dori bus stop near Mojikō Station
• Kusami Station
• Yukuhashi Station via Kanda Station

External links

• Official website
• Official website (Japanese)
• Official brochure in English about the airport PDF (3.89 MiB)
• Current weather for RJFR at NOAA/NWS
• Accident history for KKJ at Aviation Safety Network