Honda Airport

Honda Airport, also known as Okegawa Airfield, is a private airfield located across Kawajima in Hiki District and Okegawa in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. It is operated by Honda Airways, a subsidiary of Honda Motor Co., Ltd., and forms part of Honda’s aviation-related operating activities rather than being a scheduled commercial passenger airport. The site has roots predating Honda’s involvement. Before the Second World War, the Imperial Japanese Army developed and operated the location as Kawataya Airfield. Honda established the facility as Honda Airfield in 1964, and it received an aircraft operating license in 1967. Helicopter activity began in 1975, broadening the site’s role beyond fixed-wing operations. In 2003, a disaster-prevention helicopter operated by Tochigi Prefecture began using the airfield, while Saitama Prefecture also maintains operational activity there. Honda Airport is a compact general-aviation facility. It has a single runway measuring approximately 600 metres by 25 metres and occupies about 59 hectares. The airfield’s elevation is approximately 11.9 metres above sea level. Operating hours are generally from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., or until sunset, reflecting its private and general-aviation orientation rather than the continuous operating model associated with major airports. The airfield supports a range of aviation services, including sightseeing flights, aerial photography, aerial surveying, and advertising or publicity flights. These uses position Honda Airport as a specialist platform for aviation activities, public-service helicopter operations, and media-related flight work. The facility has also been used as a filming location for television dramas, adding a media-production function to its operational profile. Honda Airport should not be confused with Honda Motor Co.’s automotive brand or with a conventional international airport. Its identity is tied to a specific private airfield and to Honda Airways’ operation of that site. Publicly available reference material does not establish a separate retail-facing brand portfolio, passenger route network, listed-company structure, or independently reported financial results for Honda Airport itself.

The site now known as Honda Airport was originally developed before the Second World War by the Imperial Japanese Army, which operated it as Kawataya Airfield. Its early history therefore predates Honda’s ownership or operational involvement and reflects the area’s earlier military-aviation role. Honda established the facility as Honda Airfield in 1964. The airfield subsequently received a license allowing aircraft operations in 1967, formalizing its use as a civilian or private aviation facility. Unlike large Japanese airports built around scheduled airline traffic, Honda Airport developed as a smaller general-aviation site associated with specialized flying activities. Helicopter operations began in 1975. This expanded the airfield’s capabilities and contributed to its later role in public-service aviation. In 2003, a disaster-prevention helicopter operated by Tochigi Prefecture began operating from the site. Saitama Prefecture also uses the airfield for its own aviation activities, giving Honda Airport a regional emergency-response relevance in addition to its commercial and private uses. Honda Airways, a subsidiary of Honda Motor Co., Ltd., operates the airfield. The facility provides a base for sightseeing, aerial photography, surveying, advertising, and publicity flights. It has also been used as a location for television drama production, demonstrating that the site serves both aviation and media-related purposes. Physically, Honda Airport is a small airfield with one runway measuring approximately 600 metres by 25 metres. The facility covers roughly 59 hectares and sits at an elevation of about 11.9 metres. Its published operating schedule is generally 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., or until sunset. These characteristics are consistent with a private general-aviation facility rather than a high-volume scheduled airport. The available reference material does not identify a separate founding individual, independent corporate listing, passenger airline network, or detailed financial history for Honda Airport. Its documented significance lies in its continuity from a former military airfield to a Honda-operated private aviation site, its helicopter and disaster-prevention functions, and its specialist aviation services.

• 2003

  Tochigi disaster-prevention helicopter begins operating

  [1]Honda Airporten.wikipedia.org

  A disaster-prevention helicopter operated by Tochigi Prefecture began using Honda Airport.

• 1975

  Helicopter operations commence

  [1]Honda Airporten.wikipedia.org

  Helicopter operations began at the airfield, expanding its aviation role beyond fixed-wing activity.

• 1967

  Aircraft operating license granted

  [1]Honda Airporten.wikipedia.org

  The airfield received a license permitting aircraft operations.

• 1964

  Honda establishes the airfield

  [1]Honda Airporten.wikipedia.org

  Honda established the facility as Honda Airfield, beginning its documented history as a Honda-associated aviation site.

• Pre-Second World War military-airfield development

  [1]Honda Airporten.wikipedia.org

  The Imperial Japanese Army developed and operated the site as Kawataya Airfield before the Second World War.

A private Japanese general-aviation airfield supporting specialist flight services, helicopter activity, public-sector disaster-prevention operations, and media production.

• Airport services · 1964

  Private airfield operations

  Honda Airport provides the infrastructure and operating environment for private and general aviation in Saitama Prefecture. The site has one runway measuring approximately 600 metres by 25 metres, occupies about 59 hectares, and normally operates during daylight hours from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. or sunset.

• Aviation services

  Sightseeing flights

  Honda Airways uses the airfield as a base for sightseeing aviation. The available references identify sightseeing flights as one of the facility’s principal commercial or public-facing activities, although they do not specify routes, aircraft types, schedules, or pricing.

• Aerial services

  Aerial photography and surveying

  The airfield supports aerial photography and surveying flights. These services use aircraft or helicopters to collect visual or survey information from above and represent a specialist general-aviation application rather than scheduled passenger transport.

• Aviation marketing services

  Advertising and publicity flights

  Honda Airways operates advertising and publicity flights from Honda Airport. The references do not provide details about specific campaigns, aircraft, clients, or geographic coverage, but identify promotional aviation as part of the airfield’s operating scope.

• Public-service aviation · 2003

  Disaster-prevention helicopter operations

  Honda Airport accommodates public-sector helicopter activity, including a Tochigi Prefecture disaster-prevention helicopter from 2003 and operations associated with Saitama Prefecture. These activities give the site a regional emergency-response function.

• Media location services

  Television drama filming location

  The airfield has been used as a shooting location for television dramas. This secondary use takes advantage of its runway, aviation facilities, and controlled airfield environment, although specific productions are not identified in the supplied references.

1. 1Honda Airporten.wikipedia.org
2. 2Honda Airways official websitehonda-air.com