Kansai International Airport – KIX Kansai
Built off the Senshu coast in Osaka Bay, Kansai International Airport in Osaka Prefecture, Japan, is the world’s first off-shore airport constructed on a completely artificial island. It was opened on the 4th of September 1994 to relieve the overcrowding at Osaka International Airport, which now only handles domestic flights. With connecting flights to 23 countries and 82 cities, and an average of 28 million passengers a year, KIX is the third busiest airport in Japan and the 30th busiest in Asia.
Best Time to Visit
KIX-Kansai International Airport has two terminals, with the four-story Terminal 1 as the main one for passengers, while Terminal 2 is for low-cost carriers or LCCs. With a total end-to-end length of 1.7 kilometers (1.1 miles), Terminal 1 is the longest airport terminal in the world and is equipped with the Wing Shuttle people mover system that is the only one in Japan. Terminal 1 has an airfoil-shaped roof to facilitate air circulation throughout the building. Designed to attract more LCCs with lower landing fees than Terminal 1, Terminal 2 is a single-story structure with a much simpler design, no elevators or jet bridges, and only one boarding gate each for domestic and international flights. It isn’t directly connected to either Terminal 1 or to Kansai Airport Station but there are free shuttle buses for moving between terminals and going from Terminal 2 to the railway and ferry stations. The KIX is an ideal airport for travelers who wish to visit Kita, Kishiwada, Izumiotsu, Izumi, and Takaishi.
What to Do & Area Attractions
The only on-site hotel at Kansai International Airport (KIX) is the 4-star Hotel Nikko Kansai Airport, which is just a three-minute walk from the passenger terminal building and the airport station. Other options close to the airport are the Bellevue Garden Hotel Kansai International Airport, and the Hotel Garden Palace & Kansai Airport Spa, which both are offering shuttles to and from the airport.
The ITM-Itami Airport is one of the few airports near KIX airport.
