Hyakuri Airfield
Encyclopedia
Ibaraki Airport is an airport
in the city of Omitama
, Ibaraki Prefecture
, Japan
. It also serves as air base for the Japan Air Self-Defense Force
under the name Hyakuri Air Base. The airport was known as prior to March 2010, when civil aviation
operations began. The airport is located about 53 mi (85.3 km) north of Tokyo
, and is intended to serve as a low-cost alternative to Tokyo's larger Narita
and Haneda
airports. Approximately two million people who live in the vicinity (the northeast fringes of Tokyo) will be able to benefit and bypass Tokyo air traffic for certain flights. It may be developed into a low cost carrier hub.
. After the end of World War II
, the locals reclaimed the land and resumed farming. The base was reopened in 1956 by the Japan Air Self-Defense Force
, which took control of the land once again. Many farmers who live around the base have refused to sell their lands to the government to enable expansion of the airfield.
In March 2010, after a 22 billion yen ($243 million) local and national government investment, the airfield was renamed to Ibaraki Airport, and civil aviation
operations began. At the time of opening, Ibaraki offered two flights, an Asiana service to Seoul
, South Korea
, and to Kobe
in western Japan, by Skymark Airlines
. The original plans for a three-story terminal with separate arrivals, departures, and sightseeing levels was scrapped by the governor of Ibaraki Prefecture
, Masaru Hashimoto
, who ordered the building to be reduced to one story in height, to reduce costs. The airport will eschew jetway
s, with passengers boarding planes from the tarmac. Additional cost-cutting measures, intended to allow the airport to charge lower landing fee
s than those at Narita and Haneda, include the use of aircraft parking procedures that reduce or eliminate the need for pushback tractors
, and the possibility of having the passengers carry their own luggage to the aircraft, a practice used at some regional airports in the United States
.
Interest in the airport has been expressed by the Malaysian carrier Air Asia X as well as Korean airline Asiana, but only the latter has committed to flying out of the airport on a fixed basis. TransAsia Airways
has committed to flights to and from Taipei
's Taoyuan Airport on a semi-regular basis from March to May. During the May holiday, charters to Guam, Cebu, Bali, and Hainan will operate out of the airport. Also, China-based low-cost carrier Spring Airlines
has chosen this airport as its Tokyo-area destination with its recent approval for international flying. It will run three flights a week from Shanghai-Pudong starting from the end of July at the earliest for two months as a charter, switching to scheduled flights at the end of the two-month period (estimated to be around the end of the World Expo). However, it has started selling seats on the charters in the same manner as a normal flight since September, much like the early Hongqiao-Haneda "scheduled charters".
As of March 2011, flights to Shanghai were operating at 80% capacity and the flights to Kobe at 50% capacity. On March 11, 2011, the roof of one of the terminals came down in an earthquake
but has since been repaired.
A total of 860,000 people used the airport in its first year.
:
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
in the city of Omitama
Omitama, Ibaraki
is a city located in Ibaraki, Japan. The city was formed on March 27, 2006 from the merger of the towns of Ogawa and Minori, both from Higashiibaraki District, and the village of Tamari, from Niihari District...
, Ibaraki Prefecture
Ibaraki Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan, located in the Kantō region on the main island of Honshu. The capital is Mito.-History:Ibaraki Prefecture was previously known as Hitachi Province...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. It also serves as air base for the Japan Air Self-Defense Force
Japan Air Self-Defense Force
The , or JASDF, is the aviation branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces responsible for the defense of Japanese airspace and other aerospace operations. The JASDF carries out combat air patrols around Japan, while also maintaining an extensive network of ground and air early warning radar systems...
under the name Hyakuri Air Base. The airport was known as prior to March 2010, when civil aviation
Civil aviation
Civil aviation is one of two major categories of flying, representing all non-military aviation, both private and commercial. Most of the countries in the world are members of the International Civil Aviation Organization and work together to establish common standards and recommended practices...
operations began. The airport is located about 53 mi (85.3 km) north of Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, and is intended to serve as a low-cost alternative to Tokyo's larger Narita
Narita International Airport
is an international airport serving the Greater Tokyo Area of Japan. It is located east of Tokyo Station and east-southeast of Narita Station in the city of Narita, and the adjacent town of Shibayama....
and Haneda
Tokyo International Airport
, commonly known as , is one of the two primary airports that serve the Greater Tokyo Area in Japan. It is located in Ōta, Tokyo, south of Tokyo Station....
airports. Approximately two million people who live in the vicinity (the northeast fringes of Tokyo) will be able to benefit and bypass Tokyo air traffic for certain flights. It may be developed into a low cost carrier hub.
History
The airfield was first developed by the Imperial Japanese Navy in 1937, with much of the land claimed from local farmers under the orders of Emperor HirohitoHirohito
, posthumously in Japan officially called Emperor Shōwa or , was the 124th Emperor of Japan according to the traditional order, reigning from December 25, 1926, until his death in 1989. Although better known outside of Japan by his personal name Hirohito, in Japan he is now referred to...
. After the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the locals reclaimed the land and resumed farming. The base was reopened in 1956 by the Japan Air Self-Defense Force
Japan Air Self-Defense Force
The , or JASDF, is the aviation branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces responsible for the defense of Japanese airspace and other aerospace operations. The JASDF carries out combat air patrols around Japan, while also maintaining an extensive network of ground and air early warning radar systems...
, which took control of the land once again. Many farmers who live around the base have refused to sell their lands to the government to enable expansion of the airfield.
In March 2010, after a 22 billion yen ($243 million) local and national government investment, the airfield was renamed to Ibaraki Airport, and civil aviation
Civil aviation
Civil aviation is one of two major categories of flying, representing all non-military aviation, both private and commercial. Most of the countries in the world are members of the International Civil Aviation Organization and work together to establish common standards and recommended practices...
operations began. At the time of opening, Ibaraki offered two flights, an Asiana service to Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, and to Kobe
Kobe
, pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka...
in western Japan, by Skymark Airlines
Skymark Airlines
is a low-cost airline headquartered at Tokyo International Airport in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, operating scheduled passenger services within Japan...
. The original plans for a three-story terminal with separate arrivals, departures, and sightseeing levels was scrapped by the governor of Ibaraki Prefecture
Ibaraki Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan, located in the Kantō region on the main island of Honshu. The capital is Mito.-History:Ibaraki Prefecture was previously known as Hitachi Province...
, Masaru Hashimoto
Masaru Hashimoto
is the governor of Ibaraki Prefecture in Japan, first elected in 1993. A native of Ibaraki Prefecture and graduate of the University of Tokyo, he joined the Ministry of Home Affairs in 1969.- External links :*...
, who ordered the building to be reduced to one story in height, to reduce costs. The airport will eschew jetway
Jetway
A jet bridge is an enclosed, movable connector which extends from an airport terminal gate to an airplane, allowing passengers to board and disembark without having to go outside...
s, with passengers boarding planes from the tarmac. Additional cost-cutting measures, intended to allow the airport to charge lower landing fee
Landing fee
A landing fee is a charge paid by an aircraft to an airport company for landing at a particular airport. Landing fees can vary greatly between airports, with congested airports, ones where most of the landing slots are held by airlines being able to charge premium prices because of supply and...
s than those at Narita and Haneda, include the use of aircraft parking procedures that reduce or eliminate the need for pushback tractors
Pushback
In aviation, pushback is an airport procedure during which an aircraft is pushed backwards away from an airport gate by external power. Pushbacks are carried out by special, low-profile vehicles called pushback tractors or tugs....
, and the possibility of having the passengers carry their own luggage to the aircraft, a practice used at some regional airports in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Interest in the airport has been expressed by the Malaysian carrier Air Asia X as well as Korean airline Asiana, but only the latter has committed to flying out of the airport on a fixed basis. TransAsia Airways
TransAsia Airways
TransAsia Airways is an airline based in Taipei, Republic of China . It mainly serves the domestic market but also has limited scheduled and charter international services to China, East Asia, and Southeast Asia destinations.- Name :...
has committed to flights to and from Taipei
Taipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
's Taoyuan Airport on a semi-regular basis from March to May. During the May holiday, charters to Guam, Cebu, Bali, and Hainan will operate out of the airport. Also, China-based low-cost carrier Spring Airlines
Spring Airlines
Spring Airlines is a budget airline with its headquarters in the Homeyo Hotel in Changning District, Shanghai, People's Republic of China...
has chosen this airport as its Tokyo-area destination with its recent approval for international flying. It will run three flights a week from Shanghai-Pudong starting from the end of July at the earliest for two months as a charter, switching to scheduled flights at the end of the two-month period (estimated to be around the end of the World Expo). However, it has started selling seats on the charters in the same manner as a normal flight since September, much like the early Hongqiao-Haneda "scheduled charters".
As of March 2011, flights to Shanghai were operating at 80% capacity and the flights to Kobe at 50% capacity. On March 11, 2011, the roof of one of the terminals came down in an earthquake
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
The 2011 earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tohoku, also known as the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, or the Great East Japan Earthquake, was a magnitude 9.0 undersea megathrust earthquake off the coast of Japan that occurred at 14:46 JST on Friday, 11 March 2011, with the epicenter approximately east...
but has since been repaired.
A total of 860,000 people used the airport in its first year.
Airlines and destinations
Buses
Buses connect Ibaraki Airport with various train stations in Ibaraki prefecture to Tokyo stationTokyo Station
is a train station located in the Marunouchi business district of Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan, near the Imperial Palace grounds and the Ginza commercial district....
:
- Ishioka StationIshioka Stationis a train station operated by East Japan Railway Company and located in Ishioka, Ibaraki. It used to be the terminal for Kashima Railway Line until 1 April 2007. There is bus service from here to the Ibaraki Airport.-Platforms:...
on the JR Joban LineJoban LineThe is a railway line in Japan operated by East Japan Railway Company . It begins at Nippori Station in Taitō, Tokyo and follows the Pacific coasts of Chiba, Ibaraki, and Fukushima Prefectures before the line officially ends at Iwanuma Station in Iwanuma, Miyagi...
is the closest serviced station by bus.http://www.ibaraki-airport.net/en/access/train_bus/tbto_ishioka.html, from there, journey time to Tokyo stationTokyo Stationis a train station located in the Marunouchi business district of Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan, near the Imperial Palace grounds and the Ginza commercial district....
is one hour 40 minutes to two and half hours by railway, depending on exact route. - One can also go points northward by bus from the airport bus connection to Mito Station (Ibaraki)Mito Station (Ibaraki)is a JR East and Kashima Rinkai Tetsudo railway station located in Mito, Ibaraki, Japan.-JR East:* Jōban Line* Suigun Line-Station layout:The station consists of four island platforms serving eight tracks.-History:...
.http://www.ibaraki-airport.net/en/access/train_bus/tbto_mito.html or to Narita Airport via Kashima Rinkai RailwayKashima Rinkai RailwayThe is a railway company in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. The third sector company is abbreviated as KRT. It was founded in 1969 as a freight only railway operator to transport goods for the coastal industrial area of Kashima...
from Mito.
- Additionally, there is a shuttle bus which serves as a direct connection between Tokyo Station and the airport. The journey time is approximately 2.5 hours and reservations are required, and the fee for airline passengers is 500 yen.
Japan Air Self-Defense Force
Central Air Defense Force
- 7th Air Wing
- 302nd Tactical Fighter Squadron (F-4EJ Kai Phantom II,T-4)
- 305th Tactical Fighter Squadron (F-15 EagleMitsubishi F-15JThe Mitsubishi F-15J/DJ Eagle is a twin-engine, all-weather interceptor fighter based on the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle in use by the Japan Air Self-Defense Force . It was produced under license by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. The subsequent F-15DJ and F-15J Kai variants were also produced. Japan...
,T-4)
Air Defense Command
- Tactical Reconnaissance Group
- 501st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (RF-4E,RF-4EJ,T-4)
Air Support Command
- Hyakuri Air Rescue Wing (UH-60J, U-125ABritish Aerospace BAe 125The British Aerospace 125 is a twin-engined mid-size corporate jet, with newer variants now marketed as the Hawker 800. It was known as the Hawker Siddeley HS.125 until 1977...
)
External links
- Official site
- 百里飛行場民間共用化 (Omitama City)
- いばらきの空港・百里飛行場／茨城県企画部空港対策室 (Ibaraki Prefecture)
- 関東地方整備局予算の概要 (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and TransportMinistry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (Japan)The , abbreviated MLIT, is a ministry of the Japanese government. It is responsible for one-third of all the laws and orders in Japan and the largest Japanese ministry in terms of employees, as well as the second-largest organ of the Japanese government after the Ministry of Defense...
) - 国土交通省関東地方整備局港湾空港部 (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and TransportMinistry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (Japan)The , abbreviated MLIT, is a ministry of the Japanese government. It is responsible for one-third of all the laws and orders in Japan and the largest Japanese ministry in terms of employees, as well as the second-largest organ of the Japanese government after the Ministry of Defense...
) - JASDF Official site航空自衛隊