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is located on the island of Shimojishima in Miyakojima, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. The airport, also known as Shimoji Airport, was originally built as a 'training airport' for commercial pilots, with a secondary role as a (planned) alternative landing site for intercontinental supersonic airliners. It was completed in 1971, a year before Okinawa reverted to Japanese control.〔("JASDF wants fighters deployed to Shimoji Island" ), Japan Update, January 2013 Edition〕 It was officially opened in July 1973, initially as a private airport. The prefecture operates the airport, which has been classified as a Third Class airport (otherwise known as a Type-3) since May 1979. On July 22, 1994 Japan Transocean Air suspended flights.〔(Shimojijima Airport ), ''Okinawa Prefecture''〕 From 2001 onwards, the U.S. Marine Corps occasionally used the airport as a stopover point for helicopters and tanker aircraft involved in regional exercises. In 2004, there were some protests over the use of the airport as a refueling stop by USMC helicopters returning from an exercise in the Philippines. Adding to concerns were reports that the airport was being looked at in connection with a new base for units that were to be displaced by the planned relocation of the Futenma base.〔(US Reportedly Eyes Island Near Taiwan As Military Base ) CNSNews.com (via crosswalk.com), Thursday, October 14, 2004〕 The airport is currently listed as a CSL (Cooperative Security Location)〔A CSL contains no permanent U.S. presence; instead, rotational U.S. forces occasionally use it for training and during contingences. (''DoD, 2011b; National Defense University, 2011'' ''Worldwide Posture Conference, June 14–15, 2011.'')〕 by the US DOD. As of 2005, the airport was in use as a training facility for Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways.〔(Irabu Jima citizens irritated and demand mayoral recall election ), Japan Update〕 The long runway makes the facility well-suited for "touch-and-go landing" practice maneuvers. In the same year, the then local (Irabu Town) assembly submitted a proposal to the then Defense Agency, requesting that the JASDF take over the airport as one of their bases.〔(Okinawa town presses for turnover of Shimoji Airport to JASDF ) ''Stars and Stripes, March 25, 2005''〕 In 2010, there were renewed protests against proposals to turn Shimoji Airport into a permanent USMC post.〔(Relocating USMC base to Okinawa’s Shimoji-jima cannot be accepted ) Japan Press Weekly, ''Akahata, January 11, 2010''〕 As of early 2013, serious consideration was being given to basing a detachment of JASDF F-15J fighters out of the Airport, in order to provide better air defense coverage over the Senkaku Islands.〔("To Counter China, Defense Ministry Considering F-15s at Civilian Airport" ), ''Japan Security Watch''〕 The airport already has a 'shadow designation' as Shimoji Air Base as part of its Type-3 status. ==Airlines and destinations== 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Shimojishima Airport」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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