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. It was officially opened in July 1973, initially as a private airport. On July 22, 1994
Japan Transocean Air suspended flights. 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. The airport is currently listed as a CSL (Cooperative Security Location) by the US DOD. As of 2005, the airport was in use as a training facility for
Japan Airlines and
All Nippon Airways. 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. In 2010, there were renewed protests against proposals to turn Shimoji Airport into a permanent USMC post. 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. The airport already has a 'shadow designation' as
Shimoji Air Base as part of its Type-3 status. ==Airlines and destinations==