KITAKYUSHU (Kyodo) New Kitakyushu Airport opened Thursday, offering with a longer runway than its now-closed predecessor, and expanded operating hours.
The offshore airport, half an hour from downtown Kitakyushu, handles flights by domestic airlines that link the city to Tokyo, Nagoya and Naha, Okinawa, as well as Shanghai on flights operated by China Southern Airlines.
The new airport's first departure, an Airbus A320 operated by new carrier Star Flyer, took off in drizzle bound for Tokyo's Haneda airport at around 7:20 a.m., carrying a near-capacity load of about 130 passengers.