Departure
97%
vs 95% ▲ 2
MY FS FLIGHTS
MY FS FLIGHTS
Kumamoto Airport, also known as Aso Kumamoto Airport (ICAO: RJFT), is a large international airport on the island of Kyushu, Japan, serving Kumamoto Prefecture from a single long, ILS-equipped runway. Operated by Kumamoto International Airport Co., Ltd., it has a notable history dating back to a former Imperial Japanese Army airfield and has been rebuilt following the 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes, making it an interesting and challenging destination for simulator pilots flying scheduled or general aviation traffic into Kyushu.
Kumamoto Airport, branded Aso Kumamoto Airport, is an international airport at Mashiki in Kumamoto Prefecture on the island of Kyushu, Japan. It is operated by Kumamoto International Airport Co., Ltd., a consortium led by Mitsui Fudosan under a private concession arrangement. For a simulator pilot, the field offers a single long hard-surfaced runway equipped with an ILS, controlled airspace with tower and approach services, and a setting on a plateau close to the volcanic Mount Aso range, making it a worthwhile stop for both airliner and general aviation flying in Kyushu.
The airport lies in Mashiki, Kamimashiki District, Kumamoto Prefecture, on Kyushu, with a postal address at Otari, Mashiki-machi, Kamimashiki-gun. It is a controlled aerodrome, with its own tower and ground control, and approach and departure services coordinated through Fukuoka control, as reflected in its published frequency set.
Kumamoto Airport has one physical runway, 07/25, of hard surface construction, lit, and measuring approximately 9,830 feet in length (9830 ft on runway 07, 9829 ft on runway 25). Runway 07 is equipped with an ILS approach; runway 25 does not have a published ILS. The airport lies at an elevation of 620 feet.
Kumamoto's published frequencies are: Tower (TWR) 118.7 MHz, Ground (GND) 121.8 MHz, Approach (APP) 118.9 MHz, a second Control Approach (CON APP) frequency of 119 MHz, Departure (DEP) 122.9 MHz, Radar (RDR) 122.9 MHz, Radio TCA (RAD TCA) 123.85 MHz, ATIS on 128.8 MHz, and a Kagoshima Flight Service Centre remote communications outlet (RCO) on 118.7 MHz. Runway 07 is served by an ILS.
Kumamoto is a controlled aerodrome with an operating tower and ground frequency, so arriving and departing traffic should expect to work with Kumamoto Tower and Ground, and with Fukuoka-coordinated approach and departure control for transit into and out of the surrounding airspace. No specific published visual circuit heights or joining patterns for light aircraft are available in the material reviewed.
The first Kumamoto Airport opened in 1960 on the site of a former Imperial Japanese Army air base, with a runway of only 1,200 metres. It was replaced by the current airport in 1971, whose original 2,500-metre runway allowed jet aircraft to operate there for the first time. Kumamoto was one of only three nationally owned Japanese airports to turn a profit in fiscal year 2011, alongside New Chitose and Komatsu Airports. In 2013 legislation was passed paving the way for a private operating concession, and in March 2018 the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism decided to outsource operation of the airport to a private company from April 2020, partly to accelerate recovery after the 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes, which severely damaged the airport. China Airlines announced charter service to Kaohsiung in 2014 to support package tourism from Taiwan. Following the earthquake damage, Kumamoto International Airport Co., Ltd. developed a new, earthquake-resistant terminal building integrating both domestic and international operations.
The airport is now operated by Kumamoto International Airport Co., Ltd., under the Aso Kumamoto Airport brand, and handles scheduled domestic and international flights. A new integrated terminal building, designed to combine domestic and international operations and built to withstand strong earthquakes, opened in March 2023. The information reviewed does not describe general aviation facilities, fuel availability, opening hours, or simulator scenery for the field.