Nakashibetsu Airport hosts early morning runway walk event

The Nakashibetsu Tourism Association hosted the fourth annual ‘Early Morning Runway Walk’ at Nakashibetsu Airport on August 29. The event aimed to increase airport visibility and promote usage.

A record 67 participants from across Japan, including Hokkaido, Kanagawa, Osaka, and Aichi, joined the walk. Participants traversed approximately 2 kilometers of the runway for about an hour before scheduled flights began. During the event, airport staff provided insights into the facility’s history as a former naval airfield, technical details regarding runway drainage gradients, and operational facts such as the fact that the control tower is unmanned and pilots communicate directly with New Chitose Airport.

Attendees also observed demonstrations by the airport fire brigade using chemical fire engines and had opportunities to view runway lighting up close.