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Okadama Airport

Coordinates: 43°07′03″N 141°22′53″E / 43.11750°N 141.38139°E / 43.11750; 141.38139
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Sapporo Airfield (Okadama Airport)

札幌飛行場 (丘珠空港)

Sapporo Hikōjo (Okadama Kūkō)
Summary
Airport typePublic / Dual-use
OwnerMinistry of Defense
OperatorJapan Ground Self-Defense Force
ServesSapporo
LocationHigashi-ku, Sapporo
Opened1944 (1944)
Hub forHokkaido Air System
Elevation AMSL26 ft / 8 m
Coordinates43°07′03″N 141°22′53″E / 43.11750°N 141.38139°E / 43.11750; 141.38139
Websitewww.okadama-airport.co.jp
Map
RJCO is located in Hokkaido
RJCO
RJCO
Location in Hokkaidō
RJCO is located in Japan
RJCO
RJCO
Location in Japan
Map
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
14/32 1,500 4,921 Asphalt
Statistics (2015)
Passengers175,846
Cargo (metric tonnes)4
Aircraft movement15,397

Sapporo Airfield (Japanese: 札幌飛行場, Hepburn: Sapporo Hikōjo) (IATA: OKD, ICAO: RJCO), commonly known as Okadama Airport (Japanese: 丘珠空港, Hepburn: Okadama Kūkō), is a dual-use airport located in Okadama-chō [ja], 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 Camp Okadama of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force 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]

History

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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] HAC continues to serve the airport using Saab 340 turboprops which have since been replaced by the ATR 42.

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]

In July 2023, Sapporo City officially announced that it would extend the runway to 1,800 meters, with the understanding of local residents.

Airlines and destinations

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AirlinesDestinations
Fuji Dream Airlines[7] Seasonal: Nagoya–Komaki
Hokkaido Air System Akita,[8] Hakodate, Kushiro, Memanbetsu,[9] Misawa, Nakashibetsu,[10] Okushiri, Rishiri
Toki Air Niigata[11]

JGSDF units

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Ground transportation

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Buses[12]

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Name Via Destination Company Note
Airport Bus Sakaemachi Station (Hokkaido) Sapporo Station Hokuto Kotsu Bus There isn't any service between Sapporo Station and Sakaemachi Station (Hokkaido) during winter due to increasing delay by snow．
麻26 Sakaemachi Station (Hokkaido) Asabu Bus Terminal (Asabu Station・Shin-Kotoni Station) Hokkaido Chuo Bus
Toyohatake
Toyohatake Moerenuma Park Runs only during summer

北37条東21丁目（旧・丘珠空港入口）- Kita 37-Jō Higashi 21-chome bus stop

It takes about 5 minutes on foot from Airport Terminal to this bus stop and the distance is about 200m.

Name Via Destination Company Note
栄21 Sakaemachi Station (Hokkaido) Hokkaido Chuo Bus
Shinoro Station Shinoro 10-jō 4-chome

北36条東27丁目 – Kita 36-Jō Higashi 27-chome bus stop

It takes about 10 minutes on foot from Airport Terminal to this bus stop and distance is about 700m.

Name Via Destination Company Note
ビ61 Kanjō-Dōri-Higashi Station・Higashi-Kuyakusho-Mae Station Sapporo Beer Museum (Naebo Station) Hokkaido Chuo Bus
東61 Kanjō-Dōri-Higashi Station
東79
東76 Shindō-Higashi Station Kita-Sanjūyo-Jō Station
東61・ビ61・東76・東79 Toyohatake Moerenuma Park Partly services are operated to Nakanuma Elementary School

Trains[12]

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It takes 15 minutes on foot from the Airport Terminal to Sakaemachi Station on the Sapporo Municipal Subway Tōhō Line.

References

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  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. Archived from the original on August 22, 2016. Retrieved August 30, 2011. 〒007-0880　札幌市東区丘珠町 丘珠空港内
  4. ^ a b "空港概要". Sapporo Okadama Airport Bld. Co., Ltd. Retrieved 18 November 2013.
  5. ^ a b c d "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.
  7. ^ "Fuji Dream Airlines Flight Schedule 2023.3.26 -> 2023.10.28" (PDF). Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  8. ^ "JAL Group Sapporo – Akita NW23 Service Changes". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
  9. ^ Liu, Jim. "Hokkaido Air Commuter W20 operation changes". Routesonline. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
  10. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2023-11-11. Retrieved 2023-08-23.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  11. ^ "TOKI AIR SCHEDULES SERVICE DEBUT IN LATE-JAN 2024". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
  12. ^ a b "バスのりば". September 30, 2016.
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