Sendai Airport

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Sendai Airport

Sendai Airport (仙台空港, Sendai Kūkō) (IATA: SDJ, ICAO: RJSS) is a Japanese airport in Natori, Miyagi, 13.6 km (8.5 mi) south southeast of Sendai Station in Sendai.

The airport handles domestic flights, and it is an international airport.[1] It is officially classified as a 2nd class airport.[2]

History[change | change source]

In 1940, the Imperial Japanese Army built Sendai Airport. In 1943, it was reformed into Sendai Army Flight School.

At the end of World War II, the United States Army took control of the airport and its operations.

In 1956, Sendai Airport was returned to Japan.

Wavy roofline of Sendai terminal

The airport is marked by the design of its terminal. The curving and waving roof imitates the mountainous landscape and undulating sea edge that surrounds it.[3] The building was finished in 1997. It was designed by Gyo Obata of Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum (HOK).[4] According to HOK, the iconic form represents the aspirations of the region.[5]

Tsunami flooding around the airport

2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami[change | change source]

During the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake, the airport was damaged by the tremors and it was flooded.[6]

A week later, military engineers opened the airport for disaster relief.

The airport served as a transit location for airlifted supplies, including 2 million tons of such items as blankets, water, and food.

Related pages[change | change source]

References[change | change source]

Aerial view of Sendai
  1. Dodd, Jan and Simon Richmond. (2001). Japan: the Rough Guide, p. 254; De Neufville, Richard et al. (2002). Airport Systems: Planning, Design, and Management, p. 86.
  2. Sendai Airport Car Rental, Airport info Archived 2012-09-29 at the Wayback Machine; retrieved 2012-1-22.
  3. "Contemporary Airport Design," Designboom; retrieved 2012-1-22.
  4. Sendai Airport Passenger Terminal Building," International Architecture Yearbook, Issue 5 (April 29, 1999), pp. 136-137.
  5. "Anthony Leslie Authors Article on Asia-Pacific Airports," Archived 2009-06-25 at the Wayback Machine Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum (HOK), 1 April 2009; retrieved 2012-1-22.
  6. "News: Tsunami rolls through Pacific, Sendai Airport under water, Tokyo Narita closed, Pacific region airports endangered". Avherald.com. 2001-07-06. Retrieved 2011-03-11.

Other websites[change | change source]

Media related to Sendai Airport at Wikimedia Commons