New Chitose Airport serves the Sapporo metropolitan area. It is adjacent to the former Chitose civil airport which became a Japan Self Defence Force (JSDF) airbase in 1988. The pair of parallel runways at each aerodrome are in almost identical alignment but carry designations which vary by 10 degrees. ATC service for both aerodromes is provided by the JSDF.

Climatology

Humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfa) - characterized by four seasons: cold, windy, snowy winters, mild springs, hot, humid summers, and crisp and relatively short autumns. Precipitation reaches its lowest in January and February and peaks in summer and latter half of spring.