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Sendai Airport

仙台空港

*Sendai Kūkō*
Sendai Airport; 仙台空港; Sendai Kūkō
	IATA: SDJ; ICAO: RJSS;
Summary
Airport type	Public
Operator	Sendai International Airport Co., Ltd.
Serves	Sendai
Location	Natori, Miyagi
Hub for	Peach Aviation;
Elevation AMSL	6 ft / 2 m
Coordinates	38°08′23″N 140°55′01″E / 38.13972°N 140.91694°E
Website	sendai-airport.co.jp
Map
	SDJ/RJSS Location in Miyagi Prefecture SDJ/RJSS SDJ/RJSS (Japan)
Runways
Statistics (2015)
Passengers
Passengers	3,152,569
Cargo (metric tonnes)	5,979
Aircraft movement	50,877
	Source: Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism

Sendai Airport (仙台空港, Sendai Kūkō) (IATA: SDJ, ICAO: RJSS) is an international airport located in Natori of Miyagi Prefecture, 13.6 km (8.5 mi) south-southeast of Sendai, Japan. The airport is the largest in Tōhoku region. The airport's annual passenger numbers have been around 3.6 million in recent years, competing with Kobe Airport for 10th place in Japan. The airport sustained serious damage in 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.

History

In 1940, the Imperial Japanese Army built Sendai Airport in order to use it for the Kumagaya Army Flight School, Masda Branch School Trainee Training Center.^{[citation needed]} It was called by several names: Natory Airfield, Masda Airfield, and Yatory Airfield. In 1943, the Miho Army Flight Center moved into Sendai Airport and facilities were expanded and later reformed into the Sendai Army Flight School.^{[citation needed]}

At the end of World War II, the United States Army took control of the airport and its operations. In 1956, it was returned to Japan and transferred to the Ministry of Defense. The Ministry of Transport was designated to administer and use it.^{[citation needed]}

In 1957, the runway was extended to 1,200 metres (3,937 ft) and Nippon Helicopter Transport (now All Nippon Airways) established a route from Tokyo's (Haneda Airport) to Sendai.^{[citation needed]} When the airport began to service commercial jets on 14 February 1970, runway 09/27 was extended to 2,000 metres (6,562 ft). Also, the flight school of Japan Ground Self Defense Force moved into North Utsunomiya Army Post.^{[citation needed]}

Beginning 6 April 1990, Asiana Airlines established a route from Seoul (Gimpo International Airport) to Sendai, thus beginning international service from the airport. Air China began scheduled service to Beijing via Dalian in 1994, which was followed by services to Shanghai and Changchun.^[2]

In 1992, Runway 09/27 was extended further to 2,500 metres (8,202 ft) and 5 years later, in 1997, a new terminal was opened and the runway was extended further to 3,000 metres (9,843 ft).^{[citation needed]}

The Sendai Airport Line rail link was completed on 18 March 2007 and began service between Sendai and Sendai Airport Station. The "Smile Terrace" observation deck opened on 19 March 2010.^{[citation needed]}

2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami

On 11 March 2011, the airport was damaged by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and then substantially flooded by the subsequent tsunami.^[3] In addition to submerging the apron, taxiways and runway,^[4] the floodwaters reached up to parts of the 2nd level of the passenger terminal, rendering electrical equipment, transformers and safety equipment inoperable.^[5] Operations at Sendai as well as Odate-Noshiro Airport and Sado Airport, which had been controlled by Sendai Airport control tower, were suspended. Some 1,300 people were stranded within the terminal until 13 March 2011, when they were evacuated.^[5] By 17 March 2011, military engineers partially opened the airport for tsunami response flights.^[6]

To reopen the airport, on 16 March 2011, a U.S. Air Force MC-130P Combat Shadow from the 17th Special Operations Squadron infiltrated a team from the 320th Special Tactics Squadron from Kadena Air Base into Matsushima, Miyagi, then moved overland to the airport. With assistance from Japan Self-Defense Forces, enough debris was removed in a few days to allow an MC-130H Combat Talon II aircraft to begin landing with more equipment, personnel, and supplies. After further cleanup with help from additional US and Japanese military units, on 20 March 2011, a US Air Force C-17 landed at the airport with 40 metric tons of relief supplies.^[7] Thereafter, the airport served as a transit location for airlifted supplies, totaling approximately 2 million tons of such items as blankets, water, and food. The US military set up and operated air traffic control operations for the airport until shortly before commercial traffic resumed, at which point air traffic control responsibility was resumed by Japanese controllers.^[8]

The airport reopened to limited commercial traffic on 13 April 2011.^[9] Japan Airlines and ANA conducted a total of six flights a day to Tokyo Haneda Airport upon resumption of services, with Japan Airlines also offering limited flights to Osaka Itami airport.^[10]^[11]

Due to damage caused by the earthquake and tsunami, all scheduled service (except for humanitarian flights) were suspended from 11 March 2011 until 13 April 2011. Limited services resumed on 13 April 2011, although not all original Sendai destinations were served. Regular domestic flights resumed on 25 July 2011 and most international flights resumed in October 2011.^[12] Although most international services from Sendai came back online following the 2011 disaster, most services between Sendai and China were suspended or cancelled between 2012 and 2013 due to worsened Sino-Japanese relations. Asiana Airlines also reduced the frequency of its Sendai-Seoul service in September 2013. Despite the reduction in China and Korea service, 2013 saw new service from Sendai to Bangkok and Honolulu as well as new charter service to Taipei.^[2] The global COVID-19 pandemic also resulted in greatly reduced passenger traffic.^[13]

Facilities

The main passenger terminal building was designed by Japanese American architect Gyo Obata, of the St. Louis architecture firm Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum.^[14]

There are four floors in the terminal:

G1: arrivals area (domestic and international), baggage claim, customs, central Plaza – G1
M2 – arrivals concourse, atrium, customs control area
2 – departure area (domestic and international), airline offices, check-in counters, lounges and waiting area.
3 – retail shops (4), business lounge, waiting area and access to observation deck

The airport has eight jet bridges to handle aircraft coming and leaving the airport. The west end of the terminal services domestic routes and the east side international routes. The control tower, Tokyo Regional Civil Aviation Bureau office and Air Cargo Terminal are located on the west side of the main terminal building. To the south side of the airport are the facilities for small private aircraft, helipads (4) and aircraft hangars.

Airlines and destinations

Airlines	Destinations
Air China	Beijing–Capital, Dalian, Shanghai-Pudong
Air Do	Sapporo–Chitose
All Nippon Airways	Naha, Osaka–Itami
ANA Wings	Nagoya–Centrair, Osaka–Itami, Sapporo–Chitose
Asiana Airlines	Seoul–Incheon^[15]
EVA Air	Taipei–Taoyuan^[16]
Greater Bay Airlines	Hong Kong (begins 7 December 2024)^[17]
HK Express	Hong Kong (begins 17 January 2025)^[18]
Hong Kong Airlines	Hong Kong (begins 18 December 2024)^[19]
Ibex Airlines	Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Nagoya–Centrair, Osaka–Itami, Sapporo–Chitose
J-Air	Fukuoka, Osaka–Itami, Sapporo–Chitose
Peach	Nagoya–Centrair, Osaka–Kansai, Sapporo–Chitose
Skymark Airlines	Kobe
Starlux Airlines	Taipei–Taoyuan^[20]
Tigerair Taiwan	Taipei–Taoyuan^[21]
Toki Air	Niigata^[22]

Statistics

Annual passenger traffic at SDJ airport. See Wikidata query.

Ground transportation

The Sendai Airport Line, which connects the airport to Sendai Station, opened on 18 March 2007. The journey to the downtown core of the city takes 17–25 minutes. After the earthquake and tsunami, service was suspended until 1 October of that year.

The airport can be accessed by car via the Sendai–Tōbu Road via Route 20. There are two car parks located near the terminal building (Parking 1 with 970 spots) and east side of the airport property (Parking 2 with 250 spots).^[23]

Buses and taxis also service the airport and are located outside the Domestic Terminal:

Route and highway buses

Bus stop	Name	Via	Destination	Company	Note
1	Sendai-Kūkō-Yamagata Line	Yamagata Kencho-mae	Yamagata Station	Miyagi kōtsū・YamaKō bus
	Tsuruoka・Sakata Line	Sendai Station・Sagae Station・Kisakata Station	Ugo-Honjo Station	Shonaikotsu
	Sendai -kūkō ー Fukushima ー Aizu-Wakamatsu Line	Sōma Station・Fukushima Station・Nihonmatsu Station	Aizu-Wakamatsu Station	Aizu bus
	Sendai-kūkō -Zao Line	Non stop	Zaō Onsen	Sendai bus	Runs only during winter
2	Matsushima Line	Matsushima-Kaigan Station	Matsushima Station	Iwamate-Kenpoku-Jidosya
2	Sendai Airport Limousine	Non stop	Sendai Station	Takeyakoutu・Sendai bus
3	KūKō Line	circular-route	Iwanuma Station	Iwanumashi Community bus
3	Rinku-Jyunkan bus	circular-route	Tatekoshi Station	Sendai bus

Taxis – Sendai City and Tatekoshi JR Station

Accidents and incidents

In 1963, All Nippon Airways Flight 802 missed its approach and crashed at the airport, but there were no fatalities.^{[citation needed]}

References

^ "Sendai Airport" (PDF). Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 October 2016. Retrieved 7 January 2017.
^ ^a ^b 仙台空港、消える中国便政治が影、民営化に打撃も. The Nikkei (in Japanese). 19 October 2013. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
^ "News: Tsunami rolls through Pacific, Sendai Airport under water, Tokyo Narita closed, Pacific region airports endangered". Avherald.com. 11 March 2011. Retrieved 12 October 2015.
^ McLean, Alan; Quealy, Kevin; Ericson, Matthew (13 March 2011). "Satellite Photos – Japan Before and After Tsunami". The New York Times. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
^ ^a ^b "宮城県／空港臨空地域課" [Miyagi Prefecture/Airport Area Division] (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 9 December 2012. Retrieved 9 December 2012. 「仙台空港ビル 3/11 20:40現在　中２階まで浸水現在周辺住民も含めて、目算で約1300名が避難中、孤立状況 3/13　9:00現在　老人・重病者２００名が空港外へ避難完了 3/15　14:00現在　中2階まで浸水しており、調査の結果、1階部に設置してある電気設備・受変電設備・ボイラー・空調設備・自家発電・消防設備・監視カメラ等の機械電気設備は全滅状態である。」 [As of 20:40 on 3/11 at Sendai Airport Building, water has flooded up to the mezzanine floor. Approximately 1,300 people, including surrounding residents, are currently evacuated and isolated. As of 9:00 on 3/13, 200 elderly and seriously ill people are outside the airport. As of 14:00 on 3/15, the mezzanine floor was flooded, and an investigation revealed that the electrical equipment, power receiving and substation equipment, boiler, air conditioning equipment, private power generation, firefighting equipment, and monitoring installed on the first floor were flooded. Mechanical and electrical equipment such as cameras are completely destroyed.]
^ "Japan's Sendai Airport Opens Runway For Relief Efforts". Sendai Airport. 17 March 2011. Retrieved 18 March 2011.
^ Sankei Shimbun, "Elite U.S. airborne unit dropped over an airport and restores it", 27 March 2011.
^ Fackler, Martin (13 April 2011). "U.S. Airmen Quietly Reopen Wrecked Airport in Japan". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
^ "Tsunami-hit Japan airport set to reopen". www.heraldsun.com.au. 8 April 2011.
^ Koh, Yoree (8 April 2011). "Sendai Airport Back in Business April 13". The Wall Street Journal.
^ Kyodo News, "Sendai Airport partially resumes domestic flights after quake", 13 April 2011.
^ "Sendai overseas flights resume | The Japan Times Online". search.japantimes.co.jp. Archived from the original on 1 July 2011.
^ "Photos: 10 Years Since the Great East Japan Earthquake - the Atlantic". The Atlantic.
^ Johnson, Julia M. (4 March 2005). "Obata keeps HOK's focus on meeting people's needs". St. Louis Business Journal. Retrieved 5 March 2007.
^ "Asiana Airlines Resumes Sendai Service in late-April 2023". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
^ "EVA Air Resumes Sendai Service From Jan 2023". AeroRoutes. 27 October 2022.
^ "Greater Bay Airlines 4Q24 Japan Network Expansion". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
^ "HK Express Schedules Sendai 1Q25 Launch". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
^ "Hong Kong Airlines Adds Sendai Dec 2024 Launch". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
^ "Starlux Airlines Schedules Sendai Launch in 2Q23". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
^ "Tigerair Taiwan NS23 Japan Operations – 10MAR23". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
^ "TOKI AIR ADDS NIIGATA – SENDAI FROM LATE-APRIL 2024". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
^ "Tsunami-hit Japan airport set to reopen". Herald Sun/AFP. 8 April 2011. Retrieved 11 March 2013.