Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism approves changes to the landing strip and approach area of Niijima Airport

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT), via MLIT Notice No. 1088 dated August 25, 2026, has authorized changes to facilities at Niijima Airport, including the landing strip, approach area, approach surface, transitional surface, and horizontal surface. This authorization is based on the provisions of Article 40 of the Civil Aeronautics Act (Act No. 231 of 1952), as applied mutatis mutandis under Article 43, Paragraph 2 of the same Act, and was published as a notice in the Official Gazette on the same date.

The notice was issued in the name of Yasuyuki Kaneko, Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, and the scheduled date for the commencement of service for the modified facilities is set for July 1, Reiwa 10 (July 1, 2028). For matters prior to the changes, reference should be made to Ministry of Transport Notice No. 648 of 1984, Ministry of Transport Notice No. 323 of 1987, and MLIT Notice No. 278 of 2002; matters without changes shall follow Ministry of Transport Notice No. 648 of 1984 and Ministry of Transport Notice No. 266 of 1992.

Details of the Modified Facilities

The notice defines the position of the airport reference point (the baseline point of the airport) for Niijima Airport as 34 degrees 22 minutes 10 seconds North latitude, 139 degrees 16 minutes 6 seconds East longitude, and an elevation of 28.4 meters, and resets the scope of each facility based on this point.

• Landing Strip: The area enclosed by lines connecting the points in Figure 1 and Figure 2 in sequence.
• Approach Area: The trapezoidal area enclosed by lines connecting the points in Figure 2.
• Approach Surface: A plane connected to the short side of the landing strip with an upward slope of 1/20 relative to the horizontal plane.
• Transitional Surface: A plane including the hypotenuse of the approach surface and the long side of the landing strip, with an outward upward slope of 1/7.
• Horizontal Surface: The area enclosed by a circle with a radius of 1,000 meters centered on a point 45 meters vertically above the airport reference point.

Changes to Airport Operations Based on the Civil Aeronautics Act

This notice authorizes changes to airport facilities based on Article 40 of the Civil Aeronautics Act, as applied mutatis mutandis under Article 43, Paragraph 2, and involves the resetting of safety zones related to aircraft take-offs and landings. Because changes to the landing strip and approach area directly affect aircraft approach paths and the assurance of safety during take-off and landing, they serve as the basis for airport operations.

The commencement of service for the modified facilities is scheduled for July 1, Reiwa 10, and the current facility configuration will be maintained until then. The notice was published in the Official Gazette on the same date, thereby taking legal effect.

Impact on Users and Surrounding Municipalities

Niijima Airport is an island airport located in Niijima Village, Tokyo, providing air transport to the mainland. Since the facility changes involve resetting approach paths and safety zones, they may impact aircraft flight plans and land use in the surrounding areas.

• Airport Users: Changes in flight schedules and noise impact accompanying the modification of approach paths.
• Surrounding Municipalities: Review of height restriction zones accompanying the resetting of approach and transitional surfaces.
• Airlines: Updates to operational procedures based on the new facility configuration.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has granted permission after confirming that the modified facilities comply with the standards of the Civil Aeronautics Act, and it is expected that the necessary preparations will be completed by the start of operations.

Source: Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Notice No. 1088, “As the modification of facilities at Niijima Airport has been permitted, notice is hereby given as follows based on the provisions of Article 40 of the Civil Aeronautics Act (Act No. 231 of 1952), as applied mutatis mutandis under Article 43, Paragraph 2 of the same Act” (August 25, 2026, Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Yasuyuki Kaneko). Official Gazette dated August 25, 2026.