According to an interview with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, last year, American military aircraft landed at civilian airports across the country more than 450 times, the highest number in the past 10 years.
As US military training activities in the Nansei Islands become more active, flights to airports on remote islands, especially in Kagoshima Prefecture, account for more than 40% of all flights.
The country has not officially announced the status of American military aircraft flights, but according to NHK's interview with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, a total of 453 landings were made at civilian airports nationwide in the past year, and 2015 This is the highest number in the past 10 years, exceeding the 359 times held in 2017.
In particular, there were 201 landings at airports in Kagoshima Prefecture, an increase of 90 times from the previous year, accounting for approximately 44% of the total.
By airport
, Yakushima Airport has the most number of flights in Japan at 72 times
, Amami Airport has the third most number of flights at 67 times
, and Tanegashima Airport has the fifth most number of times at 50 times, so
they are concentrated at airports on remote islands.
Of these, Yakushima Airport had not been confirmed to have American military aircraft landing in it for the past 10 years, but following the crash of a United States Air Force Osprey transport plane off the coast of Yakushima in November last year, Transport planes carrying personnel and materials for search operations were flying in every day.
In January last year, the Japanese and U.S. governments confirmed that they would expand the joint use of each other's facilities in the Nansei Islands and other areas and increase joint training, and it has been pointed out that the use of civilian airports by the U.S. military may increase further in the future. I am.
Top 10 airports by number of landings at commercial airports in the past year
According to interviews with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, the top 10 airports in terms of the number of American military aircraft landings at civilian airports nationwide over the past year are as follows.
1. Yakushima Airport 72 times
2. Kumamoto Airport 69 times
3. Amami Airport 67 times 4.
Prefectural Nagoya Airport 51 times 5.
Tanegashima Airport 50 times
6. Fukuoka Airport 43 times
7. Yao Airport 19 times
8. Nagasaki Airport 16 times
9 Tokunoshima Airport 12 times
10. Sendai Airport 11 times
Number of landings at commercial airports in Japan and Kagoshima Prefecture since 2013
The number of American military aircraft landings at civilian airports nationwide and the number of landings at civilian airports in Kagoshima Prefecture since 2013 are as follows.
▽2013: 185 times, of which Kagoshima prefecture 7 times
▽2014: 311 times, of which Kagoshima prefecture: 58 times
▽2015: 359 times, of which Kagoshima prefecture: 103 times
▽2016: 324 times, of which Kagoshima prefecture: 43 times
▽2017: 318 times, of which Kagoshima prefecture: 47 times
▽2018 262 times, including Kagoshima Prefecture 40 times
▽2019 326 times, including Kagoshima Prefecture 72 times
▽2020 314 times, including Kagoshima Prefecture 49 times
▽2021 314 times, including Kagoshima Prefecture 81 times ▽2022 342 times,
including Kagoshima Prefecture 111 times
▽2023 453 times, of which Kagoshima Prefecture 201 times