Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism

Action taken by Miyazaki Airport against Volcanic Ash from the eruption of

Mt. Shinmoedake in the Kirishima mountain range

International Volcanic Ash Task Force (IVATF)Second Meeting

Montreal, 11-15 July 2011

Civil Aviation Bureau JAPAN

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Overview of Miyazaki Airport

Sendai

TokyoOsakaFukuoka

Miyazaki Airport

Kagoshima AirportMt.Sakurajima

FukuokaKyushu Islands

Hokkaido

Miyazaki AirportAD Administrator: MLIT CAB

Operational Hours: 7:30-21:30JSTRunway (Length-Width): 2,500m-45mScheduled flights: 104flights/day

Passengers : 2,993,000person/yearCargo : 13,655ton/year

　 Volcanic Ash from the eruption of Mt. Shinmoedake reached Miyazaki Airport from

28th January 2011.

Mt.Shinmoedake

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• Introduction• Information Sharing Framework for Information Sharing in Japanese Airports 1) Information gathering for volcanic ash 2) Infrastructure for Information Sharing Airport Officials Information Web Mobile Email

• Observation of Volcanic Ash• Coordination for Ash Removal Establishment of communication flow during

operational/non-operational hours• Ash Removal Work (Runway Closure)

Contents:

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1. Introduction

Canceled Flights* 226 Flights

Extension of Airport

operational hours

16 Times（ Max

50Min ）

Runway Closure 4 Times

Special Observation

Volcanic Ash at midnight.

14 Times

*The number of Canceled Flights includes other reasons than volcanic ash

Operational impact at Miyazaki Airport by Volcanic Ash from the eruption ofMt. Shinmoedake, from JAN 26th to FEB 13th; 19days in 2011.

1/26

1/28

1/30 2/1 2/3 2/5 2/7 2/9 2/1

12/1

30

20

40

60

80

4

15

77

18

118

4

31

20

12

2

11

1 2 0 15 4

0

Canceled Flights at Miyazaki Airport

Eruption

Initial ash fallRunway Closure

Runway Closure

Runway Closure

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2. Information Sharing

1) Information gathering for volcanic ash　　　 Airport Operation Officer(AOO) collects any information regarding to Volcanic Ash from the eruption of Mt. Shinmoedake . AOO also observes volcanic ash condition by Runway surface inspection.

2) Infrastructure for Information Sharing 　 ATIS　　　 Airport Official Information Web Mobile Email

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When an accident, unusual circumstances, such as facility failures and natural disasters etc. happen, AOO gathers any information and share them among other sections in airport office and airport stakeholders by any infrastructure on time.

CooperationCoordination

Support

Operator

Airport Stakeholders

InformationSharing

Airport Administrator

• Report /Instruction• Support Airport

Administrator

TroubleDisasters

Framework for Information Sharing in Japanese Airports

Airport Operation Officer(AOO)

By Web siteBy ATIS

Other Sectios

InformationSharing

Airport Office

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1) Information gathering for volcanic ash

Weather (including Miyazaki Airport Japan Meteorological Agency Website) 1) Volcanic eruption 2) Ash fall forecast (with upper wind direction) 3) Met-air notification 4) Special observation by JMA

Flights Status 1) Flight status for cancelation, diversion or delay 2) Requests of extension of airport operational hours for ash evacuation. 3) Overnight stay.

Airport Condition 1) Runway, taxiway and apron surface condition. 2) Observation of volcanic ash 3) Ash removal work plan (Runway Closure)

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2) Infrastructure for Information Sharing

　 AOO provides information by “Airport Officials Information Web” on time.

Airport condition, NOTAM, Aircraft stand allocation plan/status, Work plan/status in airside area, Volcanic ash information, aerodrome warning, typhoon warning and other useful information for flight planning are also available via this Web site.

All airport stakeholders access it with their ID/password.

Airport Officials Information Web

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Airport Office

Mobile Email　 AOO provides weather, flight status and airport condition information to the Airport Administrator and other sections regularly and quickly by mobile email. They can use it easily for their each decision.

Subject: “Volcanic Observation” 16:33 Wed 26th JAN 2011,

1. Kirishima eruption continued, Time: 3:00 pm January 26 and 40 minutes (JMA)2. Flow direction: southeast3. The public distribution of Kirishima southeast direction, the study of the time up to about 13 Miyakonojo4. Concern is the effect of ash on Miyazaki Airport.5. No impact on operational at the moment

（ Example ）

AOO

JMA

Airlines

Airport Stakeholders

Airport Administrator

Air Traffic Controller

Air Navigation Officer

Airport Facility Manager

Mobile EmailCollect

Info

2) Infrastructure for Information Sharing

Airport Security Officer

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3. Observation of Volcanic Ash

　 Methods to observe Ash fall• Observe ash fall checking how dirty the white cloth established on certain point of apron.

• Observe how ash whirled up when a vehicle runs at 60km/hours in apron area. *Depend on the observation, Airline operators request ash removal to airport office.

Observation of volcanic ash is essential for the decision of ash removal. However, it is difficult to observe and report ash fall condition because ash is diffused in the air and cannot measure easily . Miyazaki Airport Office applied following observation methods that anybody can easily identify and report ash fall.

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4. Coordination for Ash Removal

“The Guideline for Ash Removal Work in Miyazaki Airport ”This guideline was determined by reference to the Guideline of Kagoshima airport with many years of experience in volcanic ash from the eruption of Mt. Sakurajima.

AOO “Observation Volcanic ash”

“Runway Inspection”

Airport Administrator AOO

Airport Stakeholders(ATS, MET, Airlines etc.)

【 Report 】

【 Coordination 】• Surface Ash Condition• Flights status and airlines

operation• Ash removal plan (Runway Closure time)• Ash fall forecast (with upper wind

direction) etc.

Communication Flow during operational hours

Airport Security Officer(Shift work of 24hours)

“Check ash fall”

Airport Administrator

AOOAirport Facility Manager

“Special Observation Volcanic Ash at midnight”(if ash removal necessary)

“Contact ash removal worker” “Ash removal work before operational

hours (early in the morning)”

Communication Flow during non-operational hours

【 Identify ash fall 】

【 Instruction 】

・　 Special Observation Volcanic Ash at midnight; 　14Times・　 Ash removal before operational hours; 　 2Times

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We took Blower and Handmade Blower vehicle to clean up the volcanic ash on the RWY/TWYto prevent the attachment of volcanic ash to embeded aeronautical ground lights and clogged grooves on the RWY

（ Watering Sweeper Vehicle ）

Handmade Blower

5. Ash Removal Work

【 Runway closure; 4Times 】Jan 28th 　 09:55-13:20JST 　（ 3Hours 25Minutes ） Jan 28th 　 16:06-18:00JST 　（ 1Hours54Minutes ）Jan 30th 21:30-07:00JST 　（ 9Hours30Minutes ）Feb 3th 01:00-07:00JST 　 （ 6Hours ）

Blower

　 Equipment of Ash Removal Work ・ Blower (for Runway and Taxiway)　　　・ Handmade Blower vehicle (for Runway and Taxiway) ・ Watering Sweeper Vehicle(for Apron)

Priority 1stPriority 2ndOther AreaPrioritization

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