Kokura Airport


Kokura Airport, previously called Kitakyūshū Airport until 2005, was a small airport in Kokura Minami-ku, Kitakyūshū, Japan. There used to be four flights to and from Tokyo International Airport every day. The runway was long, so although large-sized jets could not use the airfield, mid-sized aircraft such as the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 could, albeit with a reduced payload. It is now commonly referred to as Kokura, its location, to distinguish it from the New Kitakyushu Airport, an offshore airport built on a man-made island in Suo nada, the most westerly part of the Seto Inland Sea. The new airport opened in March 2006, taking over the old airport codes.
As of 2013, the former airport is one of the potential sites for new JASDF facilities as part of an ongoing defense buildup.