Asiana Airlines so far the only airline planning to fly into Ibaraki airport

Thursday 23rd April, 05:33 AM JST

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10 Comments

Scrote at 08:31 AM JST - 23rd April

Sounds like a massive loss maker. For those without a car the airport will be quite inaccessible. Tourists visiting from Korea would find themselves stranded in the middle of nowhere, so they are unlikely to use the airport. It will also probably cost much more to fly to Korea from Ibaraki than from Narita, making the free car parking irrelevant.

It's time Governor Hashimoto resigned to atone for the vast waste of taxpayers' money.
MrRoadrage at 08:55 AM JST - 23rd April

"An airplane with a capacity of up to 383 people can land at the new airport, making direct flights to Kuala Lumpur possible." Er...yeah sure, whatever you say.
DJJapan at 10:39 AM JST - 23rd April

It should create an opportunity for discount airlines (New ones including domestic) but also the local infrastrucure and businesses have to be supportive of it to cater for overseas visitors as well as domestic ones. The key benefits that I can only see now would be in the winter season as it is closer to the ski resorts as I don't know what there is in the summer. They won't be getting the passengers from Sendai though since they already have direct flights to Korea.
Ninjazilla at 10:48 AM JST - 23rd April

haha im gonna follow this story, it should be amusing.
sparksy at 11:15 AM JST - 23rd April

Another huge waste of public money! Why does every prefecture in Japan need an airport? Sendai and Fukushima have reasonably close airports to Ibaraki. Why not spend the money on better bus services to these, as well as Haneda/Narita, instead? The construction state wins again!
boonme at 11:25 AM JST - 23rd April

Hey maybe Ryan Air will consider flying in to this airport. It has all their hallmarks of a random remote airport located too far away from anywhere useful.
elbudamexicano at 06:00 PM JST - 23rd April

‘‘Ibaraki airport might create a new pattern of international travel in the area.’’Give me a break! If their is any country in need of deregulation it is Japan! I feel sorry for Asiana Airlines, but as someone pointed out maybe those off the wall cheapo discount airlines might get a new nitch??
Bento at 07:55 PM JST - 23rd April

all they have to do to attract carriers is halve the landing charges..watch the stampede..
Mark_McCracken at 01:22 PM JST - 24th April

Hyun said that a free parking lot at Ibaraki would attract different kinds of customers, such as those who prefer to use cars.

...and who else?
LostinNagoya at 01:34 PM JST - 24th April

It´s unreasonable for such a tiny country as Japan to have so many ¨international¨ airports. Take Centrair here in Nagoya, the 3rd busiest. But there are times of the day you go there an the only things taking off or landing are green flies. Kobe opened close to Kansai, Shizuoka has it own ¨international¨ one squeezed between Tokyo and Nagoya. What Japan needs is not new airports, but airfares deregulation. Along with China, Japan is the only other Asian country where customers can not pay cheaper than a certain level defined by the government.