目指すは年間利用客100万人　新規路線就航が相次ぐ札幌丘珠空港　滑走路延長でさらなる利用拡大へ　注目のワケは…中心部への近さと“コンパクト”感

Passengers at Okadama Airport in Sapporo are increasing. By improving convenience, we aim to reach 1 million passengers per year. Lying down on the runway and taking commemorative photos, participants walked the runway at Okadama Airport. This year marked the fourth time the event was held, with approximately 120 participants selected by lottery. The application rate was approximately 6.5 times higher than the application rate, demonstrating its popularity. Participant "It feels amazing. It's so long. I was surprised. I didn't think I'd win. I'm so grateful." Okadama Airport is located about 6 kilometers from central Sapporo. In recent years, a series of scheduled flights have been launched, and passenger numbers for fiscal year 2023 are expected to exceed 400,000 for the first time since the current airport building opened in 1992. Ozawa Hironobu, Section Chief, Airport Utilization Promotion Office, Urban Planning Policy Bureau, City of Sapporo "Passenger numbers have been recovering significantly since July. We hope to reach 500,000 this fiscal year." The goal is to reach 1 million passengers per year! Let's take a closer look at the evolving Okadama Airport and its future potential. Sapporo Okadama Airport has seen a succession of new routes launch in recent years. The Nagoya-Komaki route launched in March of last year. Regular flights connecting Nakashibetsu Airport and Akita Airport began in October, and Toki Air entered the market in January of this year. With the launch of a route to Niigata Airport, the total number of routes has increased to 12. Hiroyuki Ozawa, Section Chief, Airport Utilization Promotion Office, Urban Planning Policy Bureau, City of Sapporo "We learned about the expansion of routes and have gradually seen it gain popularity." A couple from Niigata "We decided to try Toki Air (Niigata) when it opened. (Okadama Airport) is close and compact, so you won't get lost." "It's not crowded." This shows the trend in passenger numbers at Okadama Airport. From April to the end of August, after the summer vacation ended, approximately 70,000 passengers were using the airport. This is an increase of more than 30% compared to the same period last year, which was the highest number ever. Why is Okadama Airport so popular? In addition to its proximity to the city center, it's also compact. Just a few steps from the airport entrance, you'll find the baggage checkpoint, where you can quickly check in your heavy luggage. Further up the stairs, you'll quickly pass through security and head to your plane. The short time it takes to board your plane after arriving at the airport is also one of its attractions. Office worker from Fukui "It doesn't feel like an airport, if you ask me. It feels more like a train station." The airport also has a parking lot with space for approximately 370 cars. However, to alleviate congestion during peak hours, a temporary parking lot was set up in August, offering free shuttle service to the airport. And starting in September, a flat-rate sightseeing taxi transfer plan was introduced for a limited two-month period. If you make a reservation by phone the day before, a taxi will arrive to pick you up at your flight's arrival time, and you can enjoy flat-rate transportation to downtown Sapporo, as well as Jozankei Onsen and Esconfield Hokkaido. Okadama Airport aims to improve convenience and reach 1 million passengers in the future. The runway extension plan is expected to be the catalyst for this. Hiroyuki Ozawa, Section Chief, Airport Utilization Promotion Office, Urban Planning Policy Bureau, City of Sapporo "We believe that allowing regional jets (small jets) to operate year-round will attract winter visitors to Sapporo. We believe that approximately 70 flights per day will be possible." Sapporo City plans to extend the runway to 1,800 meters by 2030, 300 meters longer than the current length. If this is realized, small jets will be able to operate even in winter, and the number of flights per day is expected to increase to 70, 20 more than the current number, further expanding utilization. Sapporo Resident "I hope it'll be as long as Chitose Airport, but the runway isn't long enough." "It might be a good idea to revitalize Okadama Airport itself as a tourist spot, with shops and restaurants." Ozawa Hironobu, Section Chief, Airport Utilization Promotion Office, Sapporo City Urban Planning Policy Bureau "The concept of Okadama Airport is to connect regions. By extending the runway to 1,800 meters, we hope to inspire people to expect that airports not connected to New Chitose Airport can be reached from Okadama." Furthermore, if the Hokkaido Shinkansen is extended to Sapporo, people arriving by Shinkansen could travel to Okadama Airport and then travel to various destinations within Hokkaido, or vice versa. I think the number of options will increase dramatically. If the runway is extended to 1,800 meters... [Benefit] It will be possible t...