Iwakuni Kintaikyo Airport – IWK Iwakuni
Locally known as Iwakuni Kintaikyo Airport, Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni is a military airbase operated by the United States Marine Corps. The airport serves the city of Iwakuni, Japan, and is situated near the Nishiki River Delta, approximately 1.5 miles, southeast of Iwakuni Station. The airport was first established in 1940 by the Japanese government and inaugurated the area as a naval air station. During World War II, Iwakuni Kintaikyo Airport was used as a training and defense base. At the end of World War II, the allied forces occupied the airbase.
Best Time to Visit
Iwakuni Kintaikyo Airport used to have an IATA code of IWJ around 1952 until 1964 when the airport operates scheduled international flights for private airplanes. The IATA code was later changed to IWK since the later airport code was already reassigned to Iwami Airport. The commercial flight commenced in 2012 with a civilian terminal being constructed to accommodate civilian passengers and aircraft. The first seven months upon its operation, the airport had handled 200,000 passengers. As of 2015, the airport had served 363,000 passengers that are traveling to nearby cities, such as Hongo-Cho, Innoshima, or Kagamiura, with an average of 2,900 aircraft operations.
What to Do & Area Attractions
There are several hotels that are situated near the airport. Travelers can stay at Iwakuni Kokusai Kanko Hotel, which is less than 16-minutes away from the airport or at Green Rich Hotel Iwakuni Ekimae, which is less than a mile away from the airport. Both hotels offer authentic Japanese hospitality and are quite popular among tourists.
Alternate airports to IWK Airport include the Okayama Airport (OKJ) and Matsuyama Airport (MYJ).
