JAPAN. International passengers at Osaka Kansai Airport rose +4% in 2005 to 308,000, according to airport authority Kansai International Airport Co (KIAC). The total number of passengers using the airport rose +8% to 447,000.
The results, reported by Japanese travel industry experts Travel Journal International Online, were mainly attributed to significant growth in the number of non-Japanese visiting Japan for the 2006 World Exposition in Aichi prefecture, the government’s Visit Japan Campaign and relaxation in visa requirements for incoming visitors.
Each month from February to December 2005 set all-time highs in the number of Japanese on international flights at Kansai.
From January to June the number of Japanese on international flights showed year-on-year gains, but began falling from July due to a series of anti-Japanese rallies in China.
“Overall traffic demand is strong but the airline industry is still struggling with unfavourable factors,” said KIAC President Atsushi Murayama.
He said KIAC planned to build a solid business foundation in the first half of 2006 and extend new services to foreign destinations such as China to lift business in the second half.
Referring to Japan Airlines’ plans to suspend its Los Angeles service from October 2006 and the Sydney service via Brisbane from Summer 2007, he said KIAC would try to secure those services, as the flights were vital to the airport.
Note: The Moodie Report works closely with Travel Journal International Online, which is the pre-eminent provider of information on the Japanese travel industry. To subscribe, please click here.
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