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Coordinates: 34°37′58″N 135°13′26″E / 34.63278°N 135.22389°E / 34.63278; 135.22389
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{{Expand Japanese|topic=transp}}{{Short description|Airport in Japan}}
{{Short description|Domestic airport in Japan}}
{{Expand Japanese|topic=transp}}
{{Infobox airport
{{Infobox airport
| name = Kobe Airport
| name = {{nowrap|Kobe Airport}}
| nativename-a = {{nobold|{{Nihongo2|神戸空港}}}}
| nativename = {{nobold|{{Nihongo2|神戸空港}}}}<br>{{transliteration|ja|Kōbe Kūkō}}
| nativename-r = <small>''Kōbe Kūkō''</small>
| image = Kobe Airport logo 2018.gif
| image = Kobe Airport logo 2018.gif
| image-width = 250
| image-width = 250
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| ICAO = RJBE
| ICAO = RJBE
| type = Public
| type = Public
⚫
| owner-oper = [[Kansai Airports]] ([[Orix]]-[[Vinci SA]] [[consortium]])
| city-served = [[Keihanshin]]
| city-served = [[Keihanshin]]
| location = [[Chuo-ku, Kobe]]
| location = [[Chuo-ku, Kobe]]
| hub = [[Skymark Airlines]]<br />
| opened = {{start date and age|2006|02|16}}
| operating_base = {{ubl|class=nowrap
[[Fuji Dream Airlines]]
| [[Fuji Dream Airlines]]
| [[Skymark Airlines]]}}
| elevation-f = 22
| elevation-f = 22
| coordinates = {{coord|34|37|58|N|135|13|26|E|region:JP|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates = {{coord|34|37|58|N|135|13|26|E|region:JP|display=inline,title}}
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| pushpin_label = RJBE
| pushpin_label = RJBE
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Kobe##Location in Hyōgo Prefecture##Location in Japan
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Kobe##Location in Hyōgo Prefecture##Location in Japan
| website = [http://www.kairport.co.jp/eng/index.html www.kairport.co.jp]
| website = {{URL|www.kairport.co.jp/eng/}}
| metric-rwy = y
| metric-rwy = y
| r1-number = 09/27
| r1-number = 09/27
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| stat3-data = 15,019
| stat3-data = 15,019
| footnotes = Source: Japanese [[Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Kobe Airport|url=https://www.mlit.go.jp/common/001365861.pdf|publisher=Japanese [[Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism]]|access-date=23 May 2021|language=ja|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210523052310/https://www.mlit.go.jp/common/001365861.pdf|archive-date=23 May 2021}}</ref>
| footnotes = Source: Japanese [[Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Kobe Airport|url=https://www.mlit.go.jp/common/001365861.pdf|publisher=Japanese [[Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism]]|access-date=23 May 2021|language=ja|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210523052310/https://www.mlit.go.jp/common/001365861.pdf|archive-date=23 May 2021}}</ref>
| owner = Kobe City
⚫
| operator = [[Kansai Airports]] ([[Orix]]-[[Vinci SA]] [[consortium]])
}}
}}


{{nihongo|'''Kobe Airport'''|神戸空港|Kōbe Kūkō}} {{Airport codes|UKB|RJBE}} is an [[airport]] on an [[artificial island]] just off the coast of [[Kobe]], {{convert|8|km|abbr=on}} south of [[Sannomiya Station]]<ref name="AIP">[https://aisjapan.mlit.go.jp/ AIS Japan] {{webarchive|url=http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20160517110850/https://aisjapan.mlit.go.jp/ |date=2016-05-17 }}</ref> [[Japan]]. Opened on February 16, 2006, it primarily handles domestic flights, but can also accommodate international charter flights. In the first year of operation (2006), the airport handled 2,697,000 passengers with an average [[Passenger load factor|load factor]] of 61.1%. In 2017, it handled 3,071,974 passengers with an average load factor of 79.4%.<ref name = "usage">{{Cite web | url = http://www.city.kobe.lg.jp/life/access/airport/riyouzisseki.html | script-title = ja:神戸空港利用状況 | trans-title = Kobe Airport usage | website = City of Kobe | language = ja | access-date = 1 September 2018}}</ref>
{{nihongo|'''Kobe Airport'''|神戸空港|Kōbe Kūkō}} {{airport codes|UKB|RJBE}} is a [[domestic airport]] on an [[artificial island]] just off the coast of [[Kobe]], {{convert|8|km|mi|abbr=on}} south of [[Sannomiya Station]]<ref name="AIP">[https://aisjapan.mlit.go.jp/ AIS Japan] {{webarchive|url=http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20160517110850/https://aisjapan.mlit.go.jp/ |date=2016-05-17 }}</ref> [[Japan]]. Opened on February 16, 2006, it primarily handles domestic flights, but can also accommodate international charter flights. In the first year of operation (2006), the airport handled 2,697,000 passengers with an average [[Passenger load factor|load factor]] of 61.1%. In 2017, it handled 3,071,974 passengers with an average load factor of 79.4%.<ref name = "usage">{{Cite web | url = http://www.city.kobe.lg.jp/life/access/airport/riyouzisseki.html | script-title = ja:神戸空港利用状況 | trans-title = Kobe Airport usage | website = City of Kobe | language = ja | access-date = 1 September 2018}}</ref> In the fiscal year covering April 2022 - March 2023, UKB had a passenger throughput of 3,109,151. The island airport covers just 156 [[hectares]] (385 [[acres]]) of land.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kansai-airports.co.jp/en/company-profile/about-airports/kobe.html|title=Kobe Airport Facts and Statistics|website=kansai-airports.co.jp|accessdate= October 13, 2023}}</ref>


==History==
==History==
The city government of Kobe first proposed an airport adjacent to [[Port Island]] in 1971. At the time, government planners were seeking alternatives to the heavily congested [[Osaka International Airport]]: the original Kobe Airport plan called for six runways more than {{convert|3000|m|abbr=on|0}} in length on a {{convert|1100|ha|abbr=on}} facility. The mayor of Kobe, Tatsuo Miyazaki, declared his opposition to building such a large airport so close to the city, and was re-elected shortly afterward in 1973, defeating a competitor who supported the airport.<ref name="hyogorp">{{cite web|script-title=ja:関西３空港のあり方について（提言） |url=http://www.hyogo-rp.net/report/pdf/h21/h21_jigyou.pdf |publisher=財団法人 兵庫地域政策研究機構 |access-date=12 December 2013 |date=March 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130929182645/http://hyogo-rp.net/report/pdf/h21/h21_jigyou.pdf |archive-date=29 September 2013 }}</ref>
The city government of Kobe first proposed an airport adjacent to [[Port Island]] in 1971. At the time, government planners were seeking alternatives to the heavily congested [[Itami Airport]]: the original Kobe Airport plan called for six runways more than {{convert|3000|m|abbr=on|0}} in length on a {{convert|1100|ha|abbr=on}} facility. The mayor of Kobe, Tatsuo Miyazaki, declared his opposition to building such a large airport so close to the city, and was re-elected shortly afterward in 1973, defeating a competitor who supported the airport.<ref name="hyogorp">{{cite web|script-title=ja:関西３空港のあり方について（提言） |url=http://www.hyogo-rp.net/report/pdf/h21/h21_jigyou.pdf |publisher=財団法人 兵庫地域政策研究機構 |access-date=12 December 2013 |date=March 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130929182645/http://hyogo-rp.net/report/pdf/h21/h21_jigyou.pdf |archive-date=29 September 2013 }}</ref>


Kobe businesses were still interested in the plan, however, and pressed the city government to propose a smaller facility with one {{convert|3000|m|abbr=on|0}} runway. This plan was submitted to the Transport Ministry in 1982 as a competitor for the [[Kansai International Airport]] plan which was then being supported by the Osaka and Wakayama prefectural governments. After the national government voiced its displeasure with the Kobe proposal, Kobe officially switched its support to the Kansai Airport proposal in 1984, but in 1985 decided to independently fund the construction of another airport.<ref name="hyogorp" />
Kobe businesses were still interested in the plan, however, and pressed the city government to propose a smaller facility with one {{convert|3000|m|abbr=on|0}} runway. This plan was submitted to the Transport Ministry in 1982 as a competitor for the [[Kansai International Airport]] plan which was then being supported by the Osaka and Wakayama prefectural governments. After the national government voiced its displeasure with the Kobe proposal, Kobe officially switched its support to the Kansai Airport proposal in 1984, but in 1985 decided to independently fund the construction of another airport.<ref name="hyogorp" />
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The construction of the airport was stalled for lack of funding until 1995, when it won national government support as a means for recovering the Kobe economy in the wake of the [[Great Hanshin earthquake]]. Despite ongoing controversy, locals continued to support the plan: in the 1997 mayoral election, the pro-airport coalition won a narrow victory over the anti-airport coalition. Construction began in September 1999 but political controversy continued: 87,000 signatures were collected in a petition to recall the mayor in 2000, and a citizen lawsuit to cancel the project was dismissed in 2004.
The construction of the airport was stalled for lack of funding until 1995, when it won national government support as a means for recovering the Kobe economy in the wake of the [[Great Hanshin earthquake]]. Despite ongoing controversy, locals continued to support the plan: in the 1997 mayoral election, the pro-airport coalition won a narrow victory over the anti-airport coalition. Construction began in September 1999 but political controversy continued: 87,000 signatures were collected in a petition to recall the mayor in 2000, and a citizen lawsuit to cancel the project was dismissed in 2004.


The airport finally opened on February 16, 2006, with [[Japan Airlines]] operating the first flight and [[All Nippon Airways]] operating the first scheduled flight. Both ANA and JAL announced plans to replace portions of their widebody fleet with a larger number of mid-size aircraft, in part because of a need to fill the excess number of flight slots created by Kobe Airport's construction.<ref>Shimizu, K. "JAL, ANA eye smaller jets to meet changing needs". in [http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5?nb20041001a2.htm Japan Times], Oct 2004., retrieved February 15, 2007</ref> The airport handled its first international [[business jet]] flight in September 2006.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.city.kobe.lg.jp/life/access/airport/index_04.html |title=神戸市：神戸空港ホームページ 神戸空港の経緯 |access-date=2011-06-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140104204925/http://www.city.kobe.lg.jp/life/access/airport/index_04.html |archive-date=2014-01-04 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
The airport finally opened on February 16, 2006, with [[Japan Airlines]] operating the first flight and [[All Nippon Airways]] operating the first scheduled flight. Both ANA and JAL announced plans to replace portions of their widebody fleet with a larger number of mid-size aircraft, in part because of a need to fill the excess number of flight slots created by Kobe Airport's construction.<ref>Shimizu, K. "JAL, ANA eye smaller jets to meet changing needs". in [http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5?nb20041001a2.htm Japan Times] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041011203843/http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5?nb20041001a2.htm |date=2004-10-11 }}, Oct 2004., retrieved February 15, 2007</ref> The airport handled its first international [[business jet]] flight in September 2006.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.city.kobe.lg.jp/life/access/airport/index_04.html |title=神戸市：神戸空港ホームページ 神戸空港の経緯 |access-date=2011-06-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140104204925/http://www.city.kobe.lg.jp/life/access/airport/index_04.html |archive-date=2014-01-04 |url-status=dead }}</ref>


As part of its bankruptcy restructuring, JAL terminated all services out of Kobe and closed its office on June 1, 2010, in response to which [[Skymark Airlines]] announced a major expansion at the airport.<ref>{{cite news|script-title=ja:兵庫県と神戸市・神商、神戸空港24時間化など要望 国交省に|url=http://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXNASJB3102Z_R30C10A5LDA000/|access-date=12 December 2013|newspaper=[[The Nikkei]]|date=1 June 2010}}</ref> ANA also cut back services following the airport's opening. Skymark is currently the dominant carrier at Kobe carrying approximately two-thirds of its passengers.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.city.kobe.lg.jp/life/access/airport/img/HP30.2.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2018-04-01 |archive-date=2018-04-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180401213833/http://www.city.kobe.lg.jp/life/access/airport/img/HP30.2.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>
As part of its bankruptcy restructuring, JAL terminated all services out of Kobe and closed its office on June 1, 2010, in response to which [[Skymark Airlines]] announced a major expansion at the airport.<ref>{{cite news|script-title=ja:兵庫県と神戸市・神商、神戸空港24時間化など要望 国交省に|url=http://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXNASJB3102Z_R30C10A5LDA000/|access-date=12 December 2013|newspaper=[[The Nikkei]]|date=1 June 2010}}</ref> ANA also cut back services following the airport's opening. Skymark is currently the dominant carrier at Kobe carrying approximately two-thirds of its passengers.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.city.kobe.lg.jp/life/access/airport/img/HP30.2.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2018-04-01 |archive-date=2018-04-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180401213833/http://www.city.kobe.lg.jp/life/access/airport/img/HP30.2.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>
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In 2013, Kobe mayor [[Tatsuo Yada]] endorsed a proposal to consolidate the management of the three Kansai region airports by adding Kobe Airport to the planned sale in 2014 of operating concessions at Itami and Kansai.<ref>{{cite news|script-title=ja:神戸市長、３空港一体に意欲|url=http://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXNASHD04015_U3A001C1LDA000/|access-date=12 December 2013|newspaper=[[The Nikkei]]|date=5 October 2013}}</ref>
In 2013, Kobe mayor [[Tatsuo Yada]] endorsed a proposal to consolidate the management of the three Kansai region airports by adding Kobe Airport to the planned sale in 2014 of operating concessions at Itami and Kansai.<ref>{{cite news|script-title=ja:神戸市長、３空港一体に意欲|url=http://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXNASHD04015_U3A001C1LDA000/|access-date=12 December 2013|newspaper=[[The Nikkei]]|date=5 October 2013}}</ref>


Kobe was already the most indebted municipality in Japan with debts of over ¥3 trillion after Great Hanshin earthquake, and this project's cost (estimated at over ¥300 billion, or US$3 billion) has made it very controversial. Supporters argue that the third airport can mean increased competition and lower airfares. People in the surrounding regions ([[Shikoku]], [[Awaji Island]] etc.) can now have a closer airport while access to Kansai may be limited. Since the ferry from [[Tokushima]] to [[Kansai International Airport]] was discontinued, travellers have had to rely on alternate means of transportation including a bus to Kansai Airport, which takes an hour longer, or to use the local [[Tokushima Airport]], which is limited in schedules.
Kobe was already the most indebted municipality in Japan with debts of over ¥3 trillion after the Great Hanshin earthquake, and this project's cost (estimated at over ¥300 billion, or US$3 billion) has made it very controversial. Supporters argue that the third airport can mean increased competition and lower airfares. People in the surrounding regions ([[Shikoku]], [[Awaji Island]] etc.) can now have a closer airport while access to Kansai may be limited. Since the ferry from [[Tokushima]] to [[Kansai International Airport]] was discontinued, travellers have had to rely on alternate means of transportation including a bus to Kansai Airport, which takes an hour longer, or to use the local [[Tokushima Airport]], which is limited in schedules.


On April 1, 2018, Kansai Airports Kobe founded by [[Orix]], [[Vinci Airports]], and [[Kansai Airports]] took over the operation of Kobe Airport.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2017-09-26|title=神戸空港特定運営事業等における新運営会社の設立および実施契約の締結について|url=http://www.kansai-airports.co.jp/news/2017/2526/J_170926PressRelease_KobeAirportConcession.pdf|website=Kansai Airports}}</ref>
On April 1, 2018, Kansai Airports Kobe founded by [[Orix]], [[Vinci Airports]], and [[Kansai Airports]] took over the operation of Kobe Airport.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2017-09-26|title=神戸空港特定運営事業等における新運営会社の設立および実施契約の締結について|url=http://www.kansai-airports.co.jp/news/2017/2526/J_170926PressRelease_KobeAirportConcession.pdf|website=Kansai Airports}}</ref>
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| [[Air Do]]| [[New Chitose Airport|Sapporo–Chitose]]
| [[Air Do]]| [[New Chitose Airport|Sapporo–Chitose]]
| [[All Nippon Airways]] | [[New Chitose Airport|Sapporo–Chitose]], [[Haneda Airport|Tokyo–Haneda]]
| [[All Nippon Airways]] | [[New Chitose Airport|Sapporo–Chitose]], [[Haneda Airport|Tokyo–Haneda]]
| {{nowrap|[[Fuji Dream Airlines]]}} | [[Aomori Airport|Aomori]], [[Hanamaki Airport|Hanamaki]], [[Matsumoto Airport|Matsumoto]]
| {{nowrap|[[Fuji Dream Airlines]]}} | [[Aomori Airport|Aomori]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.routesonline.com/news/38/airlineroute/289021/fuji-dream-airlines-adds-kobe-aomori-service-from-late-march-2020/|title=Fuji Dream Airlines adds Kobe – Aomori service from late-March 2020}}</ref> [[Hanamaki Airport|Hanamaki]], [[Kochi Airport|Kōchi-Ryoma]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.routesonline.com/news/38/airlineroute/287342/fuji-dream-airlines-w19-new-routes/|title = Fuji Dream Airlines W19 new routes}}</ref> [[Matsumoto Airport|Matsumoto]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://centreforaviation.com/news/fuji-dream-airlines-to-launch-kobe-matsumoto-and-kobe-izumo-services-in-oct-2019-931898|title = News for Airlines, Airports and the Aviation Industry &#124; CAPA}}</ref> [[Niigata Airport|Niigata]]
| [[Skymark Airlines]] | [[Ibaraki Airport|Ibaraki]], [[Kagoshima Airport|Kagoshima]], [[Nagasaki Airport|Nagasaki]], [[Naha Airport|Naha]], [[New Chitose Airport|Sapporo–Chitose]], [[Sendai Airport|Sendai]], [[Shimojishima Airport|Shimojishima]],<ref>{{cite web |last1=Liu |first1=Jim |title=Skymark Airlines adds Shimojishima service from late-Oct 2020 |url=https://www.routesonline.com/news/38/airlineroute/293214/skymark-airlines-adds-shimojishima-service-from-late-oct-2020/ |website=Routesonline |access-date=19 August 2020}}</ref> [[Haneda Airport|Tokyo–Haneda]]
| [[Skymark Airlines]] | [[Ibaraki Airport|Ibaraki]], [[Kagoshima Airport|Kagoshima]], [[Nagasaki Airport|Nagasaki]], [[Naha Airport|Naha]], [[New Chitose Airport|Sapporo–Chitose]], [[Sendai Airport|Sendai]], [[Shimojishima Airport|Shimojishima]],<ref>{{cite web |last1=Liu |first1=Jim |title=Skymark Airlines adds Shimojishima service from late-Oct 2020 |url=https://www.routesonline.com/news/38/airlineroute/293214/skymark-airlines-adds-shimojishima-service-from-late-oct-2020/ |website=Routesonline |access-date=19 August 2020}}</ref> [[Haneda Airport|Tokyo–Haneda]]
| [[Solaseed Air]] | [[Naha Airport|Naha]]
| [[Solaseed Air]] | [[Naha Airport|Naha]]
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Some international charter flights also use Kobe Airport. Although the airport's runway is not long enough to handle long-range flights to Europe and the Americas, it occasionally handles charters to China and other nearby countries.
Some international charter flights also use Kobe Airport. Although the airport's runway is not long enough to handle long-range flights to Europe and the Americas, it occasionally handles charters to China and other nearby countries.


The Transport Ministry has capped scheduled domestic operations at 30 daily flights, and has banned international flights with the exception of private aircraft and "own use" charters, in order to prevent overcrowding in the area's airspace and to protect the growth of Kansai Airport.<ref name="hyogorp" /> The flight caps have been a point of controversy with Kobe Airport supporters, who point out that the cap was calculated based on Kansai Airport operating twice as many frequencies as are currently offered: given the current traffic levels at Kansai, Kobe should be able to handle six or seven flights per hour.
The Transport Ministry has capped scheduled domestic operations at 30 daily flights, and has banned international flights with the exception of private aircraft and "own use" charters, in order to prevent overcrowding in the area's airspace and to protect the growth of Kansai Airport.<ref name="hyogorp" /> The flight caps have been a point of controversy with Kobe Airport supporters, who point out that the cap was calculated based on Kansai Airport operating twice as many frequencies as are currently offered: given the current traffic levels at Kansai, Kobe should be able to handle six or seven flights per hour. The restriction on international charters will be loosened in April 2025 when the international terminal opens. [[Korean Air]], [[VietJet Air]] and [[Starlux Airlines]] have expressed interest to operate international flights to Kobe when the restriction is loosened. Scheduled international flights will be allowed from around 2030.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-12-05 |title=Starlux plans to launch regular Taipei and Taichung - Kobe charters in April 2025 |url=https://japanaviationhub.com/news/starlux-taiwan-kobe-plan/ |access-date=2024-12-06 |website=Japan Aviation Hub |language=en-US}}</ref>


== Statistics ==
== Statistics ==
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|15,019
|15,019
|48.1%
|48.1%
|-
|2022
|2,701,440
|{{increase}} 54.1%
|16,635
|
|-
|2023
|3,434,858
|{{increase}} 27.1%
|17,454
|
|}
|}


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There are bus services to [[Shin-Kobe Station]] (on the [[San'yō Shinkansen]]), Sannomiya Station, and [[Kōbe Station]] in 25–38 minutes. A single trip to Shin-Kobe Station costs ¥330.
There are bus services to [[Shin-Kobe Station]] (on the [[San'yō Shinkansen]]), Sannomiya Station, and [[Kōbe Station]] in 25–38 minutes. A single trip to Shin-Kobe Station costs ¥330.

==Accidents and incidents==
* At 14:30 on 31 May 2024, a light aircraft belonging to Hirata Gakuen aviation school landed on the airport runway without its wheels being extended during a touch-and-go landing, forcing the affected runway's closure and the cancellation of 34 flights. None of the three people aboard the plane were injured.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20240531_29/ |title=Kobe Airport closes runway after small plane makes belly-landing |website=NHK |date=31 May 2024}}</ref>


==See also==
==See also==

Latest revision as of 15:58, 6 December 2024

Kobe Airport

神戸空港
Kōbe Kūkō
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerKobe City
OperatorKansai Airports (Orix-Vinci SA consortium)
ServesKeihanshin
LocationChuo-ku, Kobe
OpenedFebruary 16, 2006; 18 years ago (2006-02-16)
Operating base for
Elevation AMSL22 ft / 7 m
Coordinates34°37′58″N 135°13′26″E / 34.63278°N 135.22389°E / 34.63278; 135.22389
Websitewww.kairport.co.jp/eng/
Map
RJBE is located in Kobe
RJBE
RJBE
Location in Kobe
RJBE is located in Hyōgo Prefecture
RJBE
RJBE
Location in Hyōgo Prefecture
RJBE is located in Japan
RJBE
RJBE
Location in Japan
Map
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
09/27 2,500 8,202 Asphalt concrete
Statistics (2021)
Passengers1,752,629
Cargo (metric tonnes)0
Aircraft movement15,019

Kobe Airport (神戸空港, Kōbe Kūkō) (IATA: UKB, ICAO: RJBE) is a domestic airport on an artificial island just off the coast of Kobe, 8 km (5.0 mi) south of Sannomiya Station[2] Japan. Opened on February 16, 2006, it primarily handles domestic flights, but can also accommodate international charter flights. In the first year of operation (2006), the airport handled 2,697,000 passengers with an average load factor of 61.1%. In 2017, it handled 3,071,974 passengers with an average load factor of 79.4%.[3] In the fiscal year covering April 2022 - March 2023, UKB had a passenger throughput of 3,109,151. The island airport covers just 156 hectares (385 acres) of land.[4]

History

[edit]

The city government of Kobe first proposed an airport adjacent to Port Island in 1971. At the time, government planners were seeking alternatives to the heavily congested Itami Airport: the original Kobe Airport plan called for six runways more than 3,000 m (9,843 ft) in length on a 1,100 ha (2,700 acres) facility. The mayor of Kobe, Tatsuo Miyazaki, declared his opposition to building such a large airport so close to the city, and was re-elected shortly afterward in 1973, defeating a competitor who supported the airport.[5]

Kobe businesses were still interested in the plan, however, and pressed the city government to propose a smaller facility with one 3,000 m (9,843 ft) runway. This plan was submitted to the Transport Ministry in 1982 as a competitor for the Kansai International Airport plan which was then being supported by the Osaka and Wakayama prefectural governments. After the national government voiced its displeasure with the Kobe proposal, Kobe officially switched its support to the Kansai Airport proposal in 1984, but in 1985 decided to independently fund the construction of another airport.[5]

Kobe Airport (bottom) under construction in 2003

The construction of the airport was stalled for lack of funding until 1995, when it won national government support as a means for recovering the Kobe economy in the wake of the Great Hanshin earthquake. Despite ongoing controversy, locals continued to support the plan: in the 1997 mayoral election, the pro-airport coalition won a narrow victory over the anti-airport coalition. Construction began in September 1999 but political controversy continued: 87,000 signatures were collected in a petition to recall the mayor in 2000, and a citizen lawsuit to cancel the project was dismissed in 2004.

The airport finally opened on February 16, 2006, with Japan Airlines operating the first flight and All Nippon Airways operating the first scheduled flight. Both ANA and JAL announced plans to replace portions of their widebody fleet with a larger number of mid-size aircraft, in part because of a need to fill the excess number of flight slots created by Kobe Airport's construction.[6] The airport handled its first international business jet flight in September 2006.[7]

As part of its bankruptcy restructuring, JAL terminated all services out of Kobe and closed its office on June 1, 2010, in response to which Skymark Airlines announced a major expansion at the airport.[8] ANA also cut back services following the airport's opening. Skymark is currently the dominant carrier at Kobe carrying approximately two-thirds of its passengers.[9]

In 2013, Kobe mayor Tatsuo Yada endorsed a proposal to consolidate the management of the three Kansai region airports by adding Kobe Airport to the planned sale in 2014 of operating concessions at Itami and Kansai.[10]

Kobe was already the most indebted municipality in Japan with debts of over ¥3 trillion after the Great Hanshin earthquake, and this project's cost (estimated at over ¥300 billion, or US$3 billion) has made it very controversial. Supporters argue that the third airport can mean increased competition and lower airfares. People in the surrounding regions (Shikoku, Awaji Island etc.) can now have a closer airport while access to Kansai may be limited. Since the ferry from Tokushima to Kansai International Airport was discontinued, travellers have had to rely on alternate means of transportation including a bus to Kansai Airport, which takes an hour longer, or to use the local Tokushima Airport, which is limited in schedules.

On April 1, 2018, Kansai Airports Kobe founded by Orix, Vinci Airports, and Kansai Airports took over the operation of Kobe Airport.[11]

Airlines and destinations

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Passenger concourse

Kobe has a single passenger terminal with four gates capable of accommodating widebody aircraft

AirlinesDestinations
Air Do Sapporo–Chitose
All Nippon Airways Sapporo–Chitose, Tokyo–Haneda
Fuji Dream Airlines Aomori, Hanamaki, Matsumoto
Skymark Airlines Ibaraki, Kagoshima, Nagasaki, Naha, Sapporo–Chitose, Sendai, Shimojishima,[12] Tokyo–Haneda
Solaseed Air Naha

Some international charter flights also use Kobe Airport. Although the airport's runway is not long enough to handle long-range flights to Europe and the Americas, it occasionally handles charters to China and other nearby countries.

The Transport Ministry has capped scheduled domestic operations at 30 daily flights, and has banned international flights with the exception of private aircraft and "own use" charters, in order to prevent overcrowding in the area's airspace and to protect the growth of Kansai Airport.[5] The flight caps have been a point of controversy with Kobe Airport supporters, who point out that the cap was calculated based on Kansai Airport operating twice as many frequencies as are currently offered: given the current traffic levels at Kansai, Kobe should be able to handle six or seven flights per hour. The restriction on international charters will be loosened in April 2025 when the international terminal opens. Korean Air, VietJet Air and Starlux Airlines have expressed interest to operate international flights to Kobe when the restriction is loosened. Scheduled international flights will be allowed from around 2030.[13]

Statistics

[edit]
Annual passenger traffic at UKB airport. See Wikidata query.
Traffic by fiscal year (from April to March)[14][3]
Passengers Change Aircraft
operations 		Load Factor
2005
(Opened in March) 		353,673 1,237 72.5%
2006 2,743,004 10,629 60.4%
2007 2,974,983 Increase 8.5% 10,638 67.0%
2008 2,579,674 Decrease 13.3% 9,859 67.8%
2009 2,337,480 Decrease 9.4% 9,593 70.9%
2010 2,219,887 Decrease 5.0% 9,971 69.2%
2011 2,568,084 Increase 15.7% 12,141 70.3%
2012 2,410,343 Decrease 6.1% 13,551 64.2%
2013 2,356,327 Decrease 2.2% 13,575 65.2%
2014 2,446,455 Increase 3.8% 14,020 64.9%
2015 2,546,591 Increase 4.1% 13,711 67.0%
2016 2,783,636 Increase 9.3% 12,513 77.4%
2017 3,136,194 Increase 12.7% 13,868 79.4%
2018 3,190,090 Increase 1.7% 14,817 80.7%
2019 3,292,298 Increase 3.2% 16,423 75.8%
2020 1,213,380 Decrease 63.1% 11,614 46.4%
2021 1,752,629 Increase 44.4% 15,019 48.1%
2022 2,701,440 Increase 54.1% 16,635
2023 3,434,858 Increase 27.1% 17,454

Ground and water transportation

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Kobe Airport and transportations to the downtown

On February 2, 2006, Kobe Airport Station was connected to Sannomiya Station in central Kobe by an extension of the existing Port Liner automated guideway transit system, using 2000 series trains as well as some older 8000 series trains (older trains being gradually replaced by newer 2000 ones). Travel time to Sannomiya is 18 minutes. From Sannomiya, it is 21 minutes to Ōsaka Station and 51 minutes to Kyoto Station by JR special rapid express.

Kobe Airport is connected to Kansai Airport by the Kobe–Kanku Bay Shuttle (神戸-関空ベイ・シャトル), a high speed ferry which completes the airport-to-airport journey in 31 minutes for ¥500 for visitors to Japan.

There are bus services to Shin-Kobe Station (on the San'yō Shinkansen), Sannomiya Station, and Kōbe Station in 25–38 minutes. A single trip to Shin-Kobe Station costs ¥330.

Accidents and incidents

[edit]
  • At 14:30 on 31 May 2024, a light aircraft belonging to Hirata Gakuen aviation school landed on the airport runway without its wheels being extended during a touch-and-go landing, forcing the affected runway's closure and the cancellation of 34 flights. None of the three people aboard the plane were injured.[15]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Kobe Airport" (PDF) (in Japanese). Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 May 2021. Retrieved 23 May 2021.
  2. ^ AIS Japan Archived 2016-05-17 at the Portuguese Web Archive
  3. ^ a b 神戸空港利用状況 [Kobe Airport usage]. City of Kobe (in Japanese). Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  4. ^ "Kobe Airport Facts and Statistics". kansai-airports.co.jp. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  5. ^ a b c 関西３空港のあり方について（提言） (PDF). 財団法人 兵庫地域政策研究機構. March 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 September 2013. Retrieved 12 December 2013.
  6. ^ Shimizu, K. "JAL, ANA eye smaller jets to meet changing needs". in Japan Times Archived 2004-10-11 at the Wayback Machine, Oct 2004., retrieved February 15, 2007
  7. ^ "神戸市：神戸空港ホームページ 神戸空港の経緯". Archived from the original on 2014-01-04. Retrieved 2011-06-08.
  8. ^ 兵庫県と神戸市・神商、神戸空港24時間化など要望 国交省に. The Nikkei. 1 June 2010. Retrieved 12 December 2013.
  9. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-04-01. Retrieved 2018-04-01.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  10. ^ 神戸市長、３空港一体に意欲. The Nikkei. 5 October 2013. Retrieved 12 December 2013.
  11. ^ "神戸空港特定運営事業等における新運営会社の設立および実施契約の締結について" (PDF). Kansai Airports. 2017-09-26.
  12. ^ Liu, Jim. "Skymark Airlines adds Shimojishima service from late-Oct 2020". Routesonline. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
  13. ^ "Starlux plans to launch regular Taipei and Taichung - Kobe charters in April 2025". Japan Aviation Hub. 2024-12-05. Retrieved 2024-12-06.
  14. ^ 暦年・年度別空港管理状況調書 (in Japanese). Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  15. ^ "Kobe Airport closes runway after small plane makes belly-landing". NHK. 31 May 2024.
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