Chubu Centrair International Airport

Chubu Centrair International Airport (中部国際空港, Chūbu Kokusai Kūkō) (IATA: NGO, ICAO: RJGG) is an international airport on an artificial island in Ise Bay, Tokoname City in Aichi Prefecture, 35 km (22 mi) south of Nagoya in central Japan.[2] The airport covers about 470 hectares (1,161 acres) of land and has one 3,500m runway.[3]

For the domestic airport serving Nagoya, see Nagoya Airfield.

Chubu Centrair International Airport

中部国際空港

Chūbu Kokusai Kūkō
Summary
Airport typePublic
Owner/OperatorCentral Japan International Airport Co., Ltd. (CJIAC)
ServesChūkyō metropolitan area
LocationTokoname, Aichi, Japan
Opened17 February 2005 (2005-02-17)
Hub for
Focus city for
Elevation AMSL12 ft / 4 m
Coordinates34°51′30″N 136°48′19″E
Websitewww.centrair.jp
Maps
RJGG is located in Aichi Prefecture
RJGG
RJGG
Location in Aichi Prefecture
RJGG is located in Japan
RJGG
RJGG
Location in Japan
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
18/36 3,500 11,483 Concrete/Asphalt
Statistics (2018)
Passengers12,043,636
Cargo (metric tonnes)199,140
Aircraft movement96,591

Centrair is classified as a first class airport and is the main international gateway for the Chubu ("central") region of Japan. The name "Centrair" (セントレア, Sentorea) is an abbreviation of Central Japan International Airport, an alternate translation used in the English name of the airport's operating company, Central Japan International Airport Co., Ltd. (中部国際空港株式会社, Chūbu Kokusai Kūkō Kabushiki-gaisha). 10.2 million people used the airport in 2015, ranking 8th busiest in the nation, and 208,000 tons of cargo was moved in 2015.

History
JAL and ANA operations at Chubu International Airport

Chubu Centrair serves the third largest metropolitan area in Japan, centered around the city of Nagoya. The region is a major manufacturing centre, with the headquarters and production facilities of Toyota Motor Corporation and production facilities for Mitsubishi Motors and Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation.[4]

With much lobbying by local business groups such as Toyota, especially for 24-hour cargo flights, construction started August 2000, with a budget of JPY¥768 billion (€5.5 billion, US$7.3 billion), but through efficient management nearly ¥100 billion was saved.[5] Penta-Ocean Construction was a major contractor.[6]

According to Japanese media sources, Kodo-kai, a Yakuza faction in the Yamaguchi-gumi group, earned an immense amount of money by being the sole supplier, via a front company called Samix, of dirt, rock, sand, and gravel for the airport construction project. Although several Samix executives were criminally indicted for racketeering, the prosecutions were later dropped. According to the sources, Kodo-kai had informants working within the Nagoya police who fed the organization inside information which allowed them to stay a step ahead of investigating authorities.[7]

When Chubu Centrair opened on 17 February 2005, it took over almost all of the existing Nagoya Airport's (now Nagoya Airfield) commercial flights, and relieved Tokyo and Kansai areas of cargo shipments. As a replacement for Nagoya Airport, it also inherited its IATA airport code NGO. The airport opened in time to service the influx of visitors for Expo 2005, located near Nagoya.

Aichi Governor Hideaki Omura announced in December 2021 that two new runways were planned at the airport: a 3,290 m (10,790 ft) parallel runway to the east of the existing runway, to be completed in 2027, and a 3,500 m (11,500 ft) runway on the west side of the airport, which would replace the existing runway.[8]

Route withdrawals

There were several withdrawals from Chubu Centrair after the airport commenced its operation. American Airlines operated a route to Chicago for less than seven months in 2005, but said the service was "not as profitable as we had hoped".[9] In 2008, after a few years of service from Chubu Centrair, several airlines cancelled certain flights and put others on hiatus, including Malaysia Airlines' suspension of flight to Kuala Lumpur,[10] Jetstar ending its airport operation, Continental Airlines stopping its Honolulu flight and United Airlines' suspension of flights to San Francisco, citing low premium cabin demand. This flight also continued to Chicago until 2007.[11] Emirates and HK Express left the airport in 2009, although HK Express resumed service from September 2014. Japan Airlines also ended its flights to Paris in 2009, Bangkok in 2020 and Dallas-Fort Worth in 2022. Garuda Indonesia ended service from Denpasar in March 2012, but returned to Nagoya with the opening of direct flights from Jakarta in March 2019 but only lasted until March 2020. EVA Air left the airport in June 2012 (they have since planned to resume service from June 2019). TransAsia Airways subsidiary V Air withdrew from Centrair and ended operations in October 2016.

Northwest Airlines operated routes from Nagoya to Detroit, Guam, Manila, Saipan, and Tokyo-Narita prior to its 2009 merger with Delta Air Lines.[12] Delta took over this operation and added a Honolulu route in 2010, growing to nine daily flights at Nagoya, but cancelled most of these services over the next decade. Delta's last two routes at Nagoya, Detroit and Honolulu, were suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The Detroit route resumed on a weekly basis in April 2021, but Delta announced its permanent cancellation in 2023.[13]

Aichi Sky Expo

An exposition centre inside the airport island was opened on August 30, 2019. The exposition centre has 6 exhibition halls each being 10,000 m2 (110,000 sq ft).[14] Events held at the venue include the 2019 edition of the Wired Music Festival on September 7 and 8.[15]

Terminals
Main hall of arrival, at the conjuncture of the "T"-shaped building

The northern side of the terminal holds domestic flights, while the southern side holds international flights, each with dedicated ticket counters, security checkpoints and baggage carousels, and for international flights, immigration and customs facilities. Arrivals are processed on the second floor, and departures on the third. The lower level is used for maintenance, catering, and other ground operations, as well as for passenger buses to hardstands in the middle of the airport ramp. There are thirteen gates for domestic flights (including three bus gates), and fourteen for international flights (including three bus gates). Terminal 2 is a domestic and international terminal for budget airlines, with 11 gates for international flights and 9 gates for domestic flights.[16]

Statistics
Annual passenger traffic at NKM NGO airports. See Wikidata query.

Airlines and destinations

Passenger
AirlinesDestinations
Air Busan Busan,[17] Seoul–Incheon[18]
Air China Beijing–Capital[19]
Air Do Hakodate, Sapporo–Chitose
All Nippon Airways Fukuoka, Ishigaki, Memanbetsu, Miyako, Tokyo–Narita
Seasonal: Asahikawa
ANA Wings Akita, Fukuoka, Kumamoto, Miyazaki, Nagasaki, Naha, Sapporo–Chitose, Sendai, Tokyo–Narita
Seasonal: Hakodate
Asiana Airlines Seoul–Incheon
Batik Air Malaysia Kuala Lumpur–International, Taipei–Taoyuan[20]
Cathay Pacific Hong Kong,[21] Taipei–Taoyuan (resumes 29 October 2023)[22]
Cebu Pacific Manila
China Airlines Taipei–Taoyuan
China Eastern Airlines Shanghai–Pudong[23]
China Southern Airlines Dalian[19]
Fuji Dream Airlines Kōchi-Ryoma[24]
HK Express Hong Kong
Hong Kong Airlines Hong Kong[25]
Ibex Airlines Fukuoka, Kagoshima,[26] Kumamoto, Matsuyama, Niigata, Ōita, Sendai
Japan Airlines Honolulu, Sapporo–Chitose, Shanghai–Pudong, Taipei–Taoyuan, Tianjin, Tokyo–Haneda, Tokyo–Narita
Seasonal: Obihiro
Japan Transocean Air Naha
Seasonal: Ishigaki, Miyako
Jeju Air Seoul–Incheon
Jetstar Japan Fukuoka, Kagoshima, Manila,[27] Naha, Sapporo–Chitose
Jin Air Seoul–Incheon[28]
Juneyao Air Beijing–Daxing,[29] Shanghai–Pudong[30]
Korean Air Busan, Seoul–Incheon
Charter: Muan[31]
Lufthansa Frankfurt (resumes 1 April 2024)
Oriental Air Bridge Akita, Fukuoka (begins 29 October 2023),[32] Miyazaki[33]
Peach Naha,[34] Sapporo–Chitose, Sendai, Taipei–Taoyuan[35]
Philippine Airlines Cebu, Manila
Shanghai Airlines Shanghai–Pudong
Singapore Airlines Singapore
Skymark Airlines Kagoshima, Naha, Sapporo–Chitose
Solaseed Air Kagoshima, Miyazaki, Naha
Spring Airlines Shanghai–Pudong[23]
StarFlyer Fukuoka, Taipei–Taoyuan
Starlux Airlines Taipei–Taoyuan (begins 1 December 2023)[36]
Thai Airways International Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi
Tianjin Airlines Tianjin[37]
Tigerair Taiwan Kaohsiung,[38] Taipei–Taoyuan
T'way Air Jeju
United Airlines Guam
VietJet Air Hanoi[39]
Vietnam Airlines Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City

Cargo
AirlinesDestinations
AirBridgeCargo Airlines Moscow–Sheremetyevo (suspended)
ANA Cargo Hong Kong, Naha
Asiana Cargo Seoul–Incheon
DHL Aviation Anchorage, Cincinnati, Charleston (SC), Everett, Hong Kong, Leipzig/Halle, Seoul–Incheon, Taipei–Taoyuan, Taranto-Grottaglie, Wichita–McConnell
National Airlines Anchorage, Los Angeles
Nippon Cargo Airlines Osaka–Kansai, Tokyo–Narita
ULS Cargo Hong Kong, Istanbul

Ground transportation

Train
Meitetsu's μSky Limited Express (right) and Limited Express (left)

Central Japan International Airport Station, the train station for Centrair is located on the Meitetsu Airport Line operated by Nagoya Railroad (Meitetsu). The fastest "μSky Limited Express" service connects the airport to Meitetsu Nagoya Station in 28 minutes. All μSky Limited Express are operating at a max speed of 120 km/h by 2000 series trains, which have all seats designated and it is required to purchase an extra 360 yen "special limited express ticket".[40] Meitetsu Nagoya Station is adjacent to JR Nagoya Station, allowing transfers to Shinkansen bullet trains bound for not only Tokyo and Osaka but also many major cities, as well as JR, Meitetsu, and Kintetsu local trains, and the Nagoya Municipal Subway.

There is a proposal for a JR line linking Centrair to Nagoya Station and the JR network through Taketoyo Line's Okkawa Station. However, no actual construction works have been implemented at the moment.

There's also a proposal for Aonami line linking Centrair to Nagoya Station by constructing a tunnel or bridge. Nagoya municipal government has acted the assessment of feasibility in 2019.[41]

Bus

Centrair Limousine provides direct bus service to and from central Nagoya, Sakae, and major hotels.[42] It is operated by a private bus company in Mie Prefecture. High-speed buses to the neighboring prefectures for 3,000 yen to Kyoto via Mie Prefecture have been operating.[43][44]

Ferry

A ferry connects to the passenger terminal in Tsu – a 40-minute trip.

Car

A toll road links Centrair and the mainland.

Bicycle

Bicycles are not allowed on the Centrair Bridge toll road to the mainland. Cyclists departing the airport must either take a Meitetsu local train one stop to Rinkū Tokoname Station or a taxi across the bridge to the Rinkū Interchange north of Aeon Mall Tokoname.

Shopping

Centrair features the Sky Town Shopping Center on the fourth floor, accessible to the general public, with 61 shops and restaurants, organized into two "streets", Renga-dori[45] and Chochin-yokocho.[46] The Chochin-yokocho shops are individually themed to have an authentic Japanese look.[46]

A Boeing 787 Dreamliner at the Flight of Dreams section of the airport

A Seattle-themed retail complex called "Flight of Dreams" opened in 2018, with the first-ever prototype Boeing 787 as a display centerpiece.[47][48]

  • Entrance to Centrair's 4th Floor Sky Town
    Entrance to Centrair's 4th Floor Sky Town
  • Shops in traditional Japanese style
    Shops in traditional Japanese style

Other facilities
Aichi Sky Expo

The Boeing Dreamlifter Operations Center is located on the airport's apron, to the south of the main terminal. This facility is used to store Japanese components of the Boeing 787 aircraft while awaiting airlift to the assembly facility in the US.[49]

Accolades
  • 2009: Fourth Best Airport in the World of the Airport Service Quality Awards by Airports Council International[50]
  • 2011: Fifth Best Airport Worldwide of the Airport Service Quality Awards by Airports Council International[51] and Best Airport by Size in the 5 to 15 million passenger category.[52]
  • 2015: Skytrax announced Chubu International Airport won the first place in the "Best Regional Airport 2015" award and first place in the "Best Regional Airport – Asia" award for the fifth year running.[53]
  • 2016: Skytrax rated Chubu International Airport as the "World's Best Regional Airport 2016" and the sixth "Best Airport Worldwide"[54][55]
  • 2017: Chubu International Airport became the first airport in the world to achieve "5-Star Regional Airport Rating" by Skytrax.[56]
  • 2018: For four consecutive years, Chubu International Airport won "The World's Best Regional Airport" award (Skytrax). Chubu was also ranked the seventh best airport in the world.[57][58]

References
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  2. AIS Japan
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  5. "Central Japan International Airport". 23 April 2010. Retrieved 23 March 2014.
  6. "Centrair Profile and History". airport-technology.com. Retrieved 23 March 2014.
  7. Sentaku Magazine (reprinted in the Japan Times), "Kodo-kai still raking in funds despite tougher yakuza laws", 23 October 2015
  8. "Chubu Airport to Build Two New Runways to Increase Capacity by 60%". www.aviationpros.com. 14 December 2021. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  9. Skertic, Mark (1 October 2005). "American Airlines to end flights to Nagoya, Japan". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
  10. "LCC eyes Nagoya-Kuala Lumpur runs". Kyodo. 13 September 2013. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
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  15. 開催5周年にして初の2DAYS開催でパワーアップ「WIRED MUSIC FESTIVAL'19」. PR Times (in Japanese). 1 February 2019. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
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  41. 関謙次 (25 September 2018). 名古屋・あおなみ線、中部空港まで延びる？ 市が検討へ. 朝日新聞 (in Japanese). Retrieved 3 October 2019.
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  43. "AIRPORT BUS". Retrieved 10 February 2018.
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  45. Renga-dori Archived 1 September 2006 at the Wayback Machine
  46. Chochin-yokocho Archived 1 September 2006 at the Wayback Machine
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  49. "404 Not Found - 404 Not Found" 中部国際空港セントレアのご案内 (PDF). Chubu Centrair International Airport. 1 June 2017. Retrieved 17 October 2017. {{cite web}}: Cite uses generic title (help)
  50. "The World's Best Airports 2009 – Asia Comes out on Top" Businessweek. Retrieved 23 March 2014.
  51. "World's best airports announced – Asia dominates" Archived 9 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine CNN Go. 15 February 2012. Retrieved 12 April 2012.
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  53. "Chubu International Airport awarded Best Regional Airport 2015". Retrieved 19 January 2018.
  54. The 10 best airports in the world Retrieved 22 April 2018
  55. World's Best Airports 2016 Archived 18 September 2017 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 22 April 2018
  56. Chubu Centair is the world's first 5-star regional airport. Retrieved 22 April 2018
  57. World's Best Regional Airport 2018. Retrieved 22 April 2018
  58. World's best airports for 2018 Retrieved 18 July 2018
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