Airport type Military Elevation AMSL 22 ft / 7 m 1,371 4,498 | Serves Minami Torishima 05/23 1,371 | |
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Owner/operator Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force | ||
Minami Torishima Airbase (南鳥島航空基地, Minami Torishima Kōkūkichi), often called Marcus Island Airport, is a one runway airport serving the island of Minami Torishima. The aerodrome used to be a military airstrip and according to the Japanese Aeronautical Information Service it is still operated by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force.
The airstrip existence dates to 1935 when the Imperial Japanese Navy built one to serve a meteorological station. The original airfield consisted of two airstrips (cleared area of 4000' and 4500', but only shorter sections used as landing area) in a v-shaped formation.
The airstrips facilities were damaged by US bombing of the island during World War II, it was re-built with a single runway by the United States. Until 1993, the airstrip was used and controlled by the United States Coast Guard to service the nearby LORAN-C station. In 2009 the airstrip was transferred to the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force which currently retains control of the airstrip and is used by the Japan Meteorological Agency to service and staff their operations on the island.