Japan Aviation Academy Chitose Airfield

Strategic consolidation and land repurposing. The Japan Aviation Academy (JAA) decided to consolidate its pilot flight training programs at its campus at Noto Airport (RJNW) in Ishikawa Prefecture. Consequently, the Chitose campus shifted its focus to non-flying aviation training, such as aircraft maintenance, airport technology, and cabin attendant courses. The land occupied by the airfield was then deemed more valuable for other uses, leading to its closure and redevelopment.

The site has been permanently and significantly repurposed. A large-scale solar farm, officially named the 'JAA Chitose Generation Plant' (JAA千歳発電所), now occupies the majority of the former runway and airfield grounds. While the faint outline of the western end of the runway is still visible from satellite views, it is bisected by the solar array and is completely unusable for aviation. The adjacent campus buildings, including some hangars, remain active and are used by the Japan Aviation Academy for its current, non-flying educational programs, such as hands-on aircraft maintenance training using stationary aircraft.

The airfield was the private flight training facility for the prestigious Japan Aviation Academy's Chitose Campus. Its primary role was to provide ab-initio (from the beginning) flight instruction to students enrolled in the academy's pilot courses. Operations consisted almost exclusively of training flights, including takeoffs, landings, and pattern work, utilizing a fleet of single-engine training aircraft such as the Cessna 172. The airfield's location was significant, as it operated in the immediate vicinity of the joint-use New Chitose Airport (RJCC) and the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) Chitose Air Base (RJCJ), one of Japan's busiest and most important air hubs. This provided a challenging and realistic training environment for student pilots, preparing them for careers in a complex airspace system. For decades, it was a key piece of infrastructure in Japan's civil aviation training pipeline.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening the airfield. The construction of a large, permanent solar energy facility directly on the former runway infrastructure makes its future use for aviation physically and economically infeasible. The land has been officially and permanently repurposed by its owner, the Japan Aviation Academy.