Kitakyushu Airport KKJ

Kitakyushu Airport is on an artificial island at the western end of the Seto Inland Sea, in Kokuraminami-ku, Fukuoka Prefecture, about 3 km from downtown Kitakyushu. It opened in March 2006 and is one of the few airports in Japan that operate 24 hours a day, together with Haneda, Naha, New Chitose, Kansai and Chubu. In 2015 it had around 1.3 million passengers. It is a quiet alternative to Fukuoka airport for travelling to northern Kyushu, and it is the home of the airline StarFlyer.

Terminals

There is a single terminal for domestic and international flights, so there are no transfers between terminals. The island is linked to the mainland by a toll-free bridge about 2.1 km long that leads to the Higashi-Kyushu Expressway.

Airlines and destinations

The main routes are Tokyo-Haneda, with StarFlyer and Japan Airlines, and Taipei-Taoyuan with StarFlyer. There are also flights to South Korea, to Seoul-Incheon and Cheongju, with Korean airlines such as Jin Air and Aero K. International routes change often, so check that they operate on your dates.

Services

It is a small-to-medium airport: it has the basics for travellers, with shops and some food. If you leave very early or arrive in the small hours, do not count on many outlets being open: carry some yen in cash and plan how to get to the city.

Tips

Round-the-clock operation allows late landings and early departures, but that does not mean every terminal service is open at night. The airport is on an island, so the only access by land is the bridge: in bad weather, allow extra time. There are buses to Kokura and to Hakata (Fukuoka), useful if your final destination is further south.