By AKIHIRO TANAKA/ Staff Writer
September 5, 2024 at 17:19 JST
Kansai International Airport celebrated its 30th anniversary on Sept. 4, flying higher than ever, after struggling through a turbulent beginning.
Once dubbed “Osaka’s burden” due to sluggish demand, the airport has since experienced significant growth, fueled by the rise of budget airlines and the influx of inbound tourists.
Operating 24 hours a day, Osaka’s gateway airport is now poised for further expansion.
The airport’s international terminal was filled with the lively sounds of a local drum group as Japan Airlines Co. (JAL) also commemorated the 30th anniversary of its Kansai-Los Angeles route, one of the first to be established when the airport opened.
“It feels like yesterday when Kansai Airport connected us to the world,” said Kumiko Miyasaka, the head of JAL’s West Japan Branch, who worked as a flight attendant on the route 30 years ago.
Opened in 1994 in Osaka Bay, Kansai Airport became the world’s first large-scale offshore airport. However, it initially struggled with low passenger traffic and accumulated significant debt.
The turning point came with the emergence of budget airlines. With its proximity to other Asian countries and 24-hour operations, the airport became an attractive hub for low-cost carriers.
Peach Aviation Ltd., Japan’s first budget carrier, began service at Kansai Airport in 2012, followed by Spring Airlines Co. and other carriers.
Currently, low-cost carriers account for more than 40 percent of international passenger flights at the airport. Rebounding from a significant decline during the COVID-19 pandemic, inbound passenger traffic reached a record high of 1.67 million in July.
“We aim to expand our network by focusing on the growing Asian market,” said Yoshiyuki Yamaya, president of Kansai Airports, the company that operates the airport.
The airport’s first terminal is undergoing major renovations and is scheduled to open in spring next year, just before the start of Osaka-Kansai Expo 2025.
Kansai Airport plans renovation to meet influx of foreign visitors
January 5, 2020
Kansai Airport sees passenger numbers plunge to record low
February 21, 2021
Chubu Airport en route for major rebound in flight operations
June 5, 2023Chinese low-cost carrier Spring soars amid COVID downturn
October 23, 2020
Airlines face quandary on dealing with maskless fliers
September 10, 2020
Kansai Airport changes inside, outside to avoid repeat of disaster
October 18, 2023
Stories about memories of cherry blossoms solicited from readers
Cooking experts, chefs and others involved in the field of food introduce their special recipes intertwined with their paths in life.
A series based on diplomatic documents declassified by Japan’s Foreign Ministry
A series on the death of a Japanese woman that sparked a debate about criminal justice policy in the United States
A series about Japanese-Americans and their memories of World War II
Here is a collection of first-hand accounts by “hibakusha” atomic bomb survivors.
Employees from various airlines greet passengers on Sept. 4 at Kansai International Airport in Osaka Prefecture to celebrate the airport’s 30th anniversary. (Akihiro Tanaka)
