Kumamoto Airport

Kumamoto Airport (熊本空港, Kumamoto Kūkō) (IATA: KMJ, ICAO: RJFT), also known as Aso Kumamoto Airport (阿蘇くまもと空港, Aso Kumamoto Kūkō), is an airport in Mashiki, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan.

Kumamoto Airport 熊本空港 Kumamoto Kūkō
IATA: KMJ ICAO: RJFT
Summary
Airport type	Public
Serves	Kumamoto
Location	Mashiki, Kumamoto Prefecture
Elevation AMSL	632 ft / 193 m
Coordinates	32°50′14″N 130°51′19″E
Website	https://www.kumamoto-airport.co.jp/en/
Map
KMJ/RJFT Location in Kumamoto Prefecture Show map of Kumamoto Prefecture KMJ/RJFT Location in Japan Show map of Japan
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 07/25 3,000 9,843 Asphalt concrete
Statistics (2015)
Passengers 3,241,633 Cargo (metric tonnes) 16,538 Aircraft movement 41,924
Source: Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism[1]

History

The first Kumamoto Airport opened in 1960 on the site of a former Imperial Japanese Army air base and had a 1,200 m runway. It was replaced by the current Kumamoto Airport in 1971. The new airport's originally had a 2,500 m runway which allow jet aircraft to operate there unlike the previous airport. The runway was later extended to 3,000 m in 1980.^[2]

Kumamoto was one of three nationally owned airports to turn a profit in fiscal year 2011 (along with New Chitose Airport and Komatsu Airport).^[3] In 2013, the government passed legislation aimed at eventually allowing the sale of an operating concession at the airport.^[4]

China Airlines charter service to Kaohsiung was announced in 2014 in order to cater to packaged tours from Taiwan.^[5]

In March 2018, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism decided to outsource the operation to a private company from April 2020 in order to accelerate the recovery from the Kumamoto earthquakes and to promote utilization and improve services by making use of private sector know-how.^{[citation needed]} The operator is Kumamoto International Airport Co., Ltd., which is funded by a consortium of 11 companies led by Mitsui Fudosan.^{[citation needed]}

Following the 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes, which severely damaged the airport, Kumamoto International Airport Co., Ltd. began developing a new terminal building which was planned to withstand strong earthquakes. It was also made to integrates both domestic and international flights. The new terminal building officially opened on 23 March 2023.^[6]

Airlines and destinations

Airlines	Destinations
All Nippon Airways	Osaka–Itami, Tokyo–Haneda
Amakusa Airlines	Amakusa, Osaka–Itami
ANA Wings	Naha, Osaka–Itami
Asiana Airlines	Seoul–Incheon[7]
China Airlines	Kaohsiung,[8] Taipei–Taoyuan[9]
China Eastern Airlines	Shanghai–Pudong[10]
Eastar Jet	Busan[11]
Fuji Dream Airlines	Nagoya–Komaki
Ibex Airlines	Nagoya–Centrair
J-Air	Osaka–Itami
Japan Airlines	Tokyo–Haneda
Jetstar Japan	Osaka–Kansai, Tokyo–Narita
Korean Air	Seoul–Incheon[12]
Solaseed Air	Tokyo–Haneda
Starlux Airlines	Taipei–Taoyuan[13]
T'way Air	Seasonal: Seoul–Incheon[citation needed]

Statistics

Annual passenger traffic at KMJ airport. See Wikidata query.