NKM-Spot
Nagoya Komaki Airport – Spotting Guide
- last modified on November 7, 2024
This airport (RJNA/NKM) is named after the city of Komaki located nearby. It was Nagoya’s International Airport until it was replaced by Chubu Centrair (NGO) in 2005. Since then, only Fuji Dream Airlines has kept offering scheduled services to and from NKM.
But the airport is still worth a visit for spotters as the Fuji Dream fleet is painted in different colours and there is also business aviation as well as military traffic (Japanese Self Defense Force’s Komaki Air Base is located on the other side of the runway).
Written by Clive Grant, Dennis Lau, Maximilian Ono and Martin Rogosz. Last Change: March 2024 (Spot 3 added)
| Rating | |
| Movements |  |
| Airline Variety |  |
| Photo Locations |  |
| Weather | |
| Airport Information | |
| Runways | |
| 16/34 | 2.740 m |
| Terminals | Single Terminal for Fuji Dream Airlines, the only carrier |
| Spotting Information | |
| Ladder | Not required |
| Car/Public Transport | Car is not needed, Terminal can be reached by bus which leaves from Midland Square, Nagoya Station in downtown. Buses run every 15-30 minutes throughout the day. On outbound trips to the airport, the bus will stop at the terminal first, then finish at the museum. On the return trips, the bus starts from the terminal, stops at the museum before heading back to Nagoya.https://aoi-komaki.jp/apshuttle1 (In Japanese: blue/white table are times from museum and airport; yellow and white table are times from Nagoya Station) |
| Restrooms | Directly at both locations. |
| Drinks/Food | Directly at both locations. |
| Hotels | A few smaller ones are next to the terminals but most selection is in downtown Nagoya. |
| Season | Better in summer due to the north/south direction of the runway and the better climate. |
| Runway Usage | |
| 16/34 | Nothing special. Used in both directions. |
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Spot #1 – Terminal Observation deck – all movements |
|---|---|
| WHERE | To get on the observation deck just enter the terminal building. Inside, turn right and cross the counter area. In the southeastern corner there is a lift and a staircase leading to the top level. Just follow the signs. This is an outdoor deck with no glass but wires with huge gaps, like in Haneda.
See table above “Public Transport” for more infos how to reach the Terminal. |
| WHAT | You have a great overview of the whole airport, especially the civil apron and Runway 16/34 arrivals and departures. The Fuji Dream flights are usually parked very close to the observation deck. You can also see military aircraft parked in the background behind the runway. |
| TIME | Best light conditions from afternoon until sunset. |
| MISC. | You can find everything you need in the terminal building. The observation deck is open from 07:00-18:45 (no charge) |
| FOCAL LENGTH | Smaller than 55mm for aircraft parked next to the terminal. At least 150mm for E-Jets on the taxiway, 250+ mm on the runway. |
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Spot #2 – Airport Walk complex car park – arrivals and departures 34 |
|---|---|
| WHERE | The spot is at the car park of the Airport Walk complex which is a twenty minute walk to the south of the airport terminal. If you’re arriving by car, drive around the south side of the Midland Cinema to access the car park. Lots of photographers hang out here and it’s also a popular place for locals to watch the aircraft. |
| WHAT | All traffic using Runway 34, including traffic on the taxiway from the terminal. This spot also covers the taxiway from the Komaki Air Base on the opposite side of the runway. |
| TIME | Best light conditions from afternoon until sunset. |
| MISC. | The fence is low enough along the length of the car park to fit a lens through below the barbed wire, however, if you’re less than 1.7 metres tall (about 5ft 6 in), you may want to bring something to stand on. If things get a bit quiet, then the Aichi Museum of Flight, which is due to open in November 2017, is located alongside the cinema. You can find everything else you need in the terminal building. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | Less than 55mm for an E-Jet on the western taxiway; 55-300mm should cover most other traffic from here. |
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Spot #3 – Aichi Museum of Flight |
|---|---|
| WHERE | Besides the terminal, the Aichi Museum of Flight offers an outdoor observation deck too. You can either take the airport bus from Downton (see “Public Transport” description above) and exit at the Museum. But you can also walk from the terminal early to the museum. Simply turn left out of the terminal and continue walking straight along the road. It’s about a 15 mins walk and you can also spot/photograph some helicopters/GA aircraft parked on the various ramps along the way. Parking available at the airport terminal and also the shopping mall which is connected to the museum. |
| WHAT | All movements can be seen from the observation deck, including the GA ramps and military base on the other side. The deck is better for photos than the observation deck on the terminal – it is closer to the taxiway and runway action and you get a much better view. For “group shots” of the Fuji Dream fleet, then the terminal deck is preferred. There are signs on the deck saying you should not take photos of the GA ramps and hangars. However, this is unlikely to be enforced but please have common sense when spotting and photographing from this location. No issues photographing military aircraft either. There is a good selection of museum exhibits on display, including a beautifully preserved YS-11. |
| TIME | Best light conditions from afternoon until sunset. |
| MISC. | The Opening times are usually 9:30-17:00 or sometimes 10:00-17:00 with last entry at 16:30. Closed every Tuesday and Wednesdays. There is an entry fee for the museum – normally 1,000 Yen per adult but sometimes they do a discounted rate of 800 Yen
Best is to always check the Calendar here for special opening/closure days: https://aichi-mof.com/guide/index.html Plenty of facilities in the museum, in the shopping mall next door and the airport terminal. If you are carrying a large camera bag or case, the staff will offer to store it for you when you enter. Just let them know you are carrying camera equipment and they will let you in without storing it. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | Fuji Dream E175 on taxiway – 80mm Light aircraft on ramp – 160mm |
Spot 3 – the Museum will be fully closed from November 2026 thru January 2027 for renovation and upgrades. Upon re-opening, a Mitsubishi MRJ/Space Jet will be on display.
As it’s an airbase on the other side, are there any precautions one should take? Such as not taking photos towards the base or only limiting photo shots to either end of the runway? Thanks!
75% of the fence in front of the Midland Cinema has now got double fences. You need a 3-stepladder to get over the fence.
Only about 100 meters in the left hand corner of the carpark is as described for spot 2.
Another option is on top of the Aichi museum of flight. They have build on observation desk on the 3rd floor. Entry to the
museum is 1000 yen for an adult. But it is worth it for great pictures from the top.
Hi Jeroen, is the observation deck behind glass?
No glass, both the Komaki and Aichi aviation museum have a wired fence which is same style like Haneda observation deck so no problem to get the lens through the wires.
Thanks for the reply Julián. There is a pretty nice photo from the deck at google maps -> https://goo.gl/maps/Gmn969QnnGpMfc4Z9
Have you ever been on the deck at the Aichi Museum? Would be nice if you can send us some details for this one.
-Julian