An airstrip was opened on the island of Kikaijima in 1931 by the
Imperial Japanese Navy. It was attacked by the
United States Navy repeatedly during the
Battle of Okinawa in the final stages of
World War II. One of the pilots on these raids was
Samuel Hynes, later a well-known author and university professor. He flew a single-engine
Avenger aircraft. In May 1968, the old airstrip was re-opened for commercial use with a 1200-meter runway. The airport was closed from August to December 1968 to permit strengthening of the runway. In April 1971, it was designated as a third-class airport by the Japanese government. ==Airlines and destinations==