New Ishigaki Airport ISG

New Ishigaki Airport (ISG), officially known as Painushima Ishigaki Airport, is in the Shiraho area of Ishigaki Island (Okinawa), about 30 minutes by car from Ishigaki city’s harbour. It opened on 7 March 2013, replacing the old airport that had operated since 1956. It is the gateway to the Yaeyama Islands and handled more than 2.4 million passengers in 2016.

Terminals

There is a single four-storey terminal: check-in is on the ground floor, the entrance on the second and an observation deck on the fourth. As it is one building, there is no need to move between terminals.

Airlines and destinations

ANA, JAL and regional airlines operate here, with flights to Tokyo Haneda, Nagoya, Osaka, Fukuoka and Naha, plus connections to other nearby islands such as Miyako, Yonaguni, Hateruma and Tarama. There are also international flights, mainly to Taiwan.

Services

The airport has restaurants and shops, an ATM and currency exchange, baggage services, eSIM and wifi, charging points and vending machines, as well as support for families with children and for passengers with disabilities. From the fourth-floor observation deck you can watch take-offs and landings while you wait.

Tips

Ishigaki is a destination for beaches and day trips to other islands, and many travellers combine a flight and a ferry on the same day: leave some margin between your flight and the boat’s departure. During typhoon season, which affects this part of Okinawa, flights can be delayed or cancelled, so check your flight status before heading to the airport and avoid very tight connections.