1. Past and Present of International and Domestic Air Transport
1-1. Japanese Air Transport
The Japanese air transport industry has made a conspicuous progress in three decades after the end of the Second World War. The number of air passengers who left and reached Japan in 1954 was 110, 000 persons. In 1973, or two decades later, the number grew 68-fold to 7, 430, 000 persons. The number of air passengers for 1973 accounted for 98% of all passengers to and from Japan, including surface passengers, for the same year.
The number of air passengers within Japan also increased from 336, 000 persons in 1955 to 2, 350, 000 persons in 1973, representing a 70-fold growth in 18 years.
1-2. Hokkaido and Air Transport
Air transport in Hokkaido has developed as major part of Japanese domestic air service. The number of air passengers who travelled between Hokkaido and Honshu (the main island of the Japanese archipelago) and within Hokkaido was 2, 180, 000 persons in 1969, and jumped to 4, 540, 000 persons in 1973, scoring a gain of just over 2-fold in five years.
Of the total travellers between Hokkaido and Honshu in 1965, those who travelled by Japanese National Railways service accounted for 84% and those who travelled by air service 16%. In 1973, however, these ratios changed to 54% for JNR service and 46% for air service. As this shows, air service is now showing gradual predominance over rail traffic in longdistance transport.
2. Future of Air Transport Centering around Hokkaido
2-1-1. Future of Domestic Air Transport
Despite the existence of some unfavorable factors, the long-term prospects for Japanese domestic air service are encouraging. The number of those who travel by air in Japan is estimated to reach 66 million to 73 million persons by 1985.
2-1-2. Domestic Air Passengers Centering around Hokkaido
The number of air passengers centering around Hokkaido, a pivot of longdistance air service, will continue increasing. The principal contributing factors include (1) rapid progress of urbanization in local areas, (2) a rise in people's income level and a resultant increase in the value of time, and (3) expansion of jet service network.
2-2. Future of International Air Transport
2-1-2. International Air Transport in 1980's
A further increase is foreseeable in the number of international air passengers in the 1980's. Those who leave and reach Japan by air will exceed the level of 40 million persons, or nearly six times as many as at present. Of them, the Japanese passengers will account for about 25 million, or about 60% of the total.
2-2-2. International Air Passengers Centering around Hokkaido
The areas of movement of international air passengers to and from Japan were mostly confined to Tokyo, Osaka, and places in their vicinity a decade ago. In the 1980's, however, the number of international air passengers to and from the Hokkaido Region is expected to reach about one million persons.
3. Position of Hokkaido in Air Transport
3-1. Use of Airports in Hokkaido in 1985
By 1985, the number of domestic air passengers using Chitose Airport, Sapporo, will reach 12, 800, 000 persons, just over three times as many as in 1973. Chitose Airport will thus rank fourth in Japan, following Tokyo, Osaka, and Fukuoka, in terms of the number of passengers it handles. By 1985, Kushiro Airport will handle, 1, 120, 000 passengers, compared with the 110, 000 passengers in 1973; Obihiro Airport will handle 640, 000 passengers, against the 80, 000 passengers; and Hakodate Airport will handle 1, 290, 000 passengers, against the 480, 000 passengers.
3-2. Improvement of Airport Facilities
The program of improving airport facilities in Hokkaido will need to be drawn up for the moment on the basis of the movement of domestic air passengers.
3-3.
