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Hiroshima–Nishi Airport

Coordinates: 34°22′01″N 132°24′50″E / 34.36694°N 132.41389°E / 34.36694; 132.41389
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Hiroshima–Nishi Airport

Hiroshimanishi Airport

広島西飛行場

Hiroshima Nishi Hikōjō
Summary
Airport typeDefunct
OperatorHiroshima Prefectural Government
ServesHiroshima
LocationNishi-ku, Hiroshima, Japan
OpenedSeptember 15, 1961 (1961-09-15)
ClosedNovember 15, 2012 (2012-11-15)
Passenger services ceasedOctober 30, 2010 (2010-10-30)
Elevation AMSL9 ft / 3 m
Coordinates34°22′01″N 132°24′50″E / 34.36694°N 132.41389°E / 34.36694; 132.41389
Websitewww.hij.airport.jp/nishi/index.html
Map
RJBH is located in Hiroshima Prefecture
RJBH
RJBH
Location in Japan
RJBH is located in Japan
RJBH
RJBH
RJBH (Japan)
Map
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
04/22 1,800 5,906 Asphalt/concrete
Source: Japanese AIP at AIS Japan[1]

Hiroshima–Nishi Airport (広島西飛行場, Hiroshima Nishi Hikōjō) (IATA: HIW, ICAO: RJBH) was an airport in Nishi Ward, located 3.1 NM (5.7 km; 3.6 mi) southwest[1] of Hiroshima City, Japan. The airport closed in November 2012, with the northern portion of the site continuing operation as Hiroshima Heliport (広島ヘリポート).

History

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Hiroshima's first airport, Yoshijima Airport (吉島飛行場), opened on a nearby island in Naka-ku, Hiroshima in 1940. It was largely destroyed during the atomic bombing of Hiroshima in 1945, but was used during the occupation of Japan as a radar base by the Royal Australian Air Force 111 Mobile Fighter Control Unit, and through the 1950s as a landing field for gliders and single-engine piston aircraft.[2]

Hiroshima Airport era

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Following the end of World War II, the Japanese government approved a plan for a new airport in a location which could take advantage of Hiroshima's natural river topography to keep aircraft from flying over residential areas. Hiroshima Airport opened on September 15, 1961, and was initially managed by the Ministry of Transport. Its passenger terminal was the second-largest in Japan at the time, after Haneda Airport.

The runway was extended from 1200 meters to 1800 meters in 1972. All Nippon Airways began Boeing 737 jet service to the airport in 1979, followed by Boeing 767 service in 1983.[3]

An international terminal opened in 1991, and the airport subsequently accommodated Japan Airlines and Asiana Airlines flights to Seoul-Gimpo, as well as Dragonair flights to Kai Tak Airport in Hong Kong.

J-Air was based at Hiroshima–Nishi from 1991 until 2005, originally as a division of the JAL Flight Academy, and later provided commuter service to domestic airports using Jetstream 31 and then Bombardier CRJ-200 aircraft.

Hiroshima-Nishi era

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Further expansion was necessary to support large jet service, and the airport's location made this impossible. A new Hiroshima Airport was built outside the city, and most airline operations moved to the new airport effective October 29, 1993. The old Hiroshima Airport was then renamed Hiroshima–Nishi Airport and fell under the control of Hiroshima Prefecture.

Terminal building in 2008

Upon the opening of the new Hiroshima Airport, J-Air was the only scheduled airline that remained at Hiroshima-Nishi. J-Air left the airport at the end of March 2005, and Japan Air Commuter continued to offer commuter service to Miyazaki and Kagoshima using Saab 340 aircraft until October 31, 2010, when the service was terminated as part of the corporate restructuring of its parent company Japan Airlines.

Hiroshima City and Hiroshima Prefecture officials debated the future of the airport for several years in the early 2000s. City officials sought to keep the airport open in order to boost the city's economy, while prefectural officials preferred converting the southern part of the property into a heliport and building an extension of the Hiroshima South Road through the northern part. Following JAC's withdrawal from the airport, Hiroshima City legislators proposed converting the airport into a municipal airport. The ordinance proposal was rejected by the city assembly in March 2011, and a new mayor announced in May that the airport would be converted to a heliport by 2012, in line with the prefecture's original proposal.

Post-closure

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Aerial view of Hiroshima Heliport in 2018
Heliport terminal building in 2022

Hiroshima Heliport commenced operations on November 15, 2012, and thereafter a number of aviation facilities were relocated so that the heliport site could be downsized.[4] The heliport was used by Marine One helicopters carrying U.S. President Barack Obama during his 2016 visit to Hiroshima.[5] The buildings, apron, and runway were renovated prior to the 2023 G7 Summit in Hiroshima, which saw a number of world leaders use the heliport.[6]

Most of the former airport site was redeveloped as the "Hiroshima Innovation Techno Port" industrial park by Daiwa House, with the first phase commencing in 2019 and the second phase commencing in 2021.[7]

The former Hiroshima Airport arrivals hall now houses the offices of football club Sanfrecce Hiroshima.

References

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  1. ^ a b AIS Japan
  2. ^ Saiki, Kuniaki. "広島吉島飛行場の歴史". 航空歴史館. Retrieved 15 February 2016.
  3. ^ "広島西飛行場 旧広島空港". 航空歴史館. Retrieved 15 February 2016.
  4. ^ "広島ヘリポートの概要|広島市公式ウェブサイト". 広島市公式ウェブサイト (in Japanese). Retrieved 2025-05-07.
  5. ^ "大統領専用機 離着陸の演習 広島 オバマ氏27日広島訪問". 中国新聞ヒロシマ平和メディアセンター (in Japanese). Retrieved 2025-05-07.
  6. ^ "[広島サミット5・19~21] 広島ヘリポート G7仕様に 建屋・待機場・滑走路を補修". 中国新聞ヒロシマ平和メディアセンター (in Japanese). Retrieved 2025-05-07.
  7. ^ "産業団地「広島イノベーション・テクノ・ポートⅡ」を開発します|大和ハウス工業オフィシャルサイト". 大和ハウス工業オフィシャルサイト (in Japanese). Retrieved 2025-05-07.
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