Collaborative management of regional air transport during natural disasters: Case of the 2011 East Japan earthquake and tsunami

This paper aims at examining the role of regional air transport after a catastrophe and proposing a management framework to cope with a sudden and drastic increase in air traffic after the catastrophe. We discuss collaborative management by regional air transport stakeholders during catastrophes by examining the case of the 2011 East Japan earthquake and tsunami. We conducted interviews and collected evidence at Yamagata Airport, which successfully managed 11 times its usual air traffic. We found that although a clearly defined leadership structure was non-existent, a proportional recovery of the transport system was initiated collectively by multiple stakeholders. Second, a horizontal management structure was the key to success in turbulent circumstances combined with limited resources. We identified two success factors in the collaborative management of regional air transport systems during the catastrophe: (1) distribution of simplified information, and (2) a sense of transport responsibility. The purpose of public subsidies for unprofitable regional air transports is mainly to provide access to and foster economic development of remote regions. We illustrate that such transport could also aid in achieving diverse transport needs during catastrophes in metropolitan areas