Saga Airport

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Saga Airport
佐賀空港
Saga-kūkō
Saga Airport runway, taxiway and tarmac.JPG
IATA: HSG – ICAO: RJFS
Summary
Airport type Public (Class Three, otherwise known as Type-3)
Owner Saga Prefecture
Operator Saga Prefecture
Serves Fukuoka–Kitakyushu metropolitan area
Location Saga City
Elevation AMSL 6 ft / 2 m
Coordinates Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Website www.pref.saga.lg.jp
Map
RJFS is located in Japan
RJFS
RJFS
Location in Japan
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
11/29 2,000 6,562 Asphalt concrete
Source: Japanese AIP at AIS Japan[1]

Saga Airport (佐賀空港 Saga-kūkō?) (IATA: HSG, ICAO: RJFS) is an airport in the Kawasoe area of Saga, Saga Prefecture, Japan.

Location

Saga Airport is located on the edge of the Ariake Sea, in what could best be described as a reclaimed mudflat. It is 35 minutes from JR Saga Station by bus.

History

The governor of Saga Prefecture announced the construction of Saga Airport in January 1969, and after years of studies and negotiations, construction commenced in 1997. The airport opened in July 1998, with hours initially limited to 8.30 a.m. to 8 p.m. At the airport's outset, All Nippon Airways operated flights to Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya and Japan Air System operated a daily flight to Osaka. JAS suspended service to Osaka in September 2001; ANA suspended service to Nagoya in February 2003 and to Osaka in January 2011.[2]

Due to the slump in mainline service to the airport, Saga Prefecture began several programs aimed at promoting usage of the airport, including ground transportation subsidies for local companies that used the airport for business travel. By fiscal year 2011 these subsidies totaled 4.2 billion yen, while landing fees payable to the prefecture had been slashed to one-third of their original level. The prefectural government also embarked on a promotional effort targeting foreign low-cost carriers.[3]

In 2004, the airport's hours were extended to allow service between midnight and 4 a.m., and ANA began overnight cargo service between Saga and Tokyo, initially using passenger aircraft but switching to Boeing 767 freighter aircraft in 2006.[2] The flight is used by overnight delivery services to send parcels to and from destinations in Kyushu.[4]

The airport accommodated 313,200 outbound domestic passengers in 2012.[5] It has also accommodated charter flights to a number of domestic and international destinations in the past, although the only such flights during fiscal year 2012 were Spring Airlines "program charter" flights to Shanghai, China.[6] Construction commenced on new facilities for international passengers in March 2013;[2] these facilities are to be completed by December 2013.[3]

Saga was a candidate destination to receive an additional pair of Haneda Airport slots in November 2013, but its bid was rejected by the government due to its existing four-daily service and its proximity to Fukuoka Airport.[7]

Airlines and destinations

Airlines Destinations
All Nippon Airways Tokyo-Haneda
Spring Airlines Charter: Shanghai-Pudong
Spring Airlines Japan Tokyo-Narita[8]
T'way Airlines Seoul-Incheon

Cargo

Airlines Destinations
All Nippon Airways Tokyo-Haneda

ANA currently operates a 767 freighter on an overnight Kansai-Haneda-Saga-Kansai route on weeknights only.[9] Starting in February 2014, the service will be replaced by a single overnight Haneda-Saga round trip using a passenger Boeing 787 carrying cargo only; the 767 freighter currently operating to Saga will be moved to the main ANA cargo hub at Naha Airport.[10]

Military

As of late 2014, the Ministry of Defense is considering Saga Airport as the primary basing location for the JGSDF's planned fleet of 17 V-22 tiltrotor V/STOL transports.[11][lower-alpha 1] Separately, some examples of a maritime (ASW/SAR) variant proposed for the MSDF may also be based in the future at the airport. In the meantime, aircraft of the Japan Self-Defense Forces in general are making increasing use of Saga due to ongoing regional tensions.

Notes

  1. ↑ On May 7th 2015, it was confirmed that the GSDF V-22 examples would be of the V-22B Block C variant, roughly equivalent to the USMC's MV-22B Block C.[12]

References

  1. ↑ AIS Japan
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ http://www.pref.saga.lg.jp/web/at-contents/kuko/yakan/yakangaiyou.html
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ http://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/news/28666-spring-airlines-japan-delays-launch-until-august-1
  9. ↑ http://www.ana.co.jp/cargo/ja/dom/air_info/timetable/pdf/night.pdf
  10. ↑ http://www.aviationwire.jp/archives/25059
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links


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