Fukuoka: High-Rise Airport Tower to Appear

The Yomiuri Shimbun

10:54 JST, December 2, 2023

FUKUOKA — A new control tower is under construction at Fukuoka Airport on the international terminal building side. At a height of 94.2 meters, it will be the second-tallest control tower in Japan, following the one at Haneda Airport, which stands at 115.7 meters.

The new tower is likely to become a new symbol for the airport, as the area surrounding the airport has few high-rise buildings due to height restrictions under the Civil Aeronautics Law. It is scheduled for completion in the autumn of 2024.

Fukuoka Airport serves as a key international hub in Kyushu, and with nearly 15 million travelers, it had the third-highest volume of foot traffic in Japan in 2022, following Haneda and New Chitose in Hokkaido. However, it has only one runway, which is 2,800 meters long. A second runway of 2,500 meters is under construction and is expected to be completed by the end of the 2024 fiscal year.

The increased height of the new control tower will be necessary to oversee the entire airport once the second runway is operational.

According to the Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry, the new tower will be approximately three times taller than the current 31.4-meter tower located next to the domestic terminal building.

The new tower will surpass Naha Airport’s 88.5 meters and Narita Airport’s 87.3 meters, becoming the second-tallest in Japan. However, Narita Airport plans to construct a tower about 120 meters high by the end of the 2028 fiscal year.