Hiroshima is served by Hiroshima Airport (HIJ), located approximately 50 km east of the city center. While a mid-sized airport, it offers a focused selection of domestic routes and essential international connections, primarily from other parts of Asia. Its key advantage is providing convenient access to Hiroshima for travelers whose destinations aren't easily reached by Shinkansen.
Travelers flying into Hiroshima will find the most frequent and affordable services on major domestic routes. The busiest arrival route is from Tokyo (HND), with multiple daily flights. Other key domestic departure points include Sapporo (CTS), Okinawa (Naha/OKA), and Fukuoka (FUK). For international arrivals, the airport receives direct flights from Seoul (ICN), Taipei (TPE), Shanghai (PVG), and seasonally from Hong Kong (HKG) and Guam (GUM).
The market into Hiroshima is led by domestic carriers. ANA and Japan Airlines (JAL) operate the core network from Tokyo and Sapporo. International routes are served by a mix of network and low-cost airlines, including Korean Air, China Airlines, and Spring Airlines Japan. The presence of LCCs on routes from Seoul and Shanghai helps keep fares competitive for travelers coming from those cities.
To secure cheap flights to Hiroshima, the best strategy is to book domestic flights from Tokyo or Sapporo well in advance, especially during peak travel seasons like Golden Week or Obon. For international routes from Seoul, Taipei, or Shanghai, monitor fares from the low-cost carriers and be flexible with dates. Always compare the total cost and time of flying directly into HIJ versus taking a cheap flight to a larger hub like Osaka (KIX) or Fukuoka (FUK) and then using ground transportation (train or bus) to reach Hiroshima, as the latter option can sometimes offer lower overall fares and a wider range of departure cities.