Hiroshima East Training Airfield

The primary reason for the final closure was economic. After the new and much larger Hiroshima Airport (IATA: HIJ, ICAO: RJOA) opened in 1993, the old airport (then renamed Hiroshima-Nishi) saw a drastic reduction in traffic. It struggled to remain financially viable, operating at a significant deficit. The city of Hiroshima, which managed the facility, decided to close it and redevelop the valuable urban land for other purposes.

The site has been extensively redeveloped. A small portion of the original airport grounds continues to operate as the Hiroshima Heliport (広島ヘリポート), which retained the ICAO code RJBH. This heliport serves news agencies, police, and emergency medical services.

The vast majority of the former airport land, including the main runway and taxiways, has been transformed into a large public space called Hiroshima Seifu Shinto Park (ひろしま西風新都). The park's design cleverly incorporates the outline of the old runway as a central promenade, preserving a visual memory of the site's aviation history. Surrounding areas have been developed with commercial and residential facilities.

The name 'Hiroshima East Training Airfield' and ICAO 'JP-1702' are non-standard identifiers, likely from a third-party database or flight simulator. The site's official name was originally Hiroshima Airport, and later Hiroshima-Nishi Airport (ICAO at the time of closure: RJBH).

- **Main Air Gateway (1961-1993):** Opened in 1961, this was the primary airport for Hiroshima for over 30 years. It was located conveniently close to the city center and handled all major domestic flights from carriers like All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Japan Airlines (JAL), connecting Hiroshima to Tokyo, Osaka, and other key Japanese cities.

- **Post-1993 Operations:** After the new Hiroshima Airport opened in 1993, this site was renamed Hiroshima-Nishi Airport. Its role was reduced to handling commuter flights to nearby destinations, general aviation, corporate jets, and serving as a base for emergency services. It continued to operate with its single 1,800-meter runway (04/22) until its final closure to airplanes in 2012.

There are no plans or prospects for reopening the site as a fixed-wing airport. The land has been permanently and successfully re-purposed for public and commercial use. All of Hiroshima's fixed-wing commercial and cargo aviation is now consolidated at the current Hiroshima Airport (RJOA) located in the city of Mihara.