JAPAN. Kansai International Airport (KIX) today (2 June) formally celebrated the completion of the fourth and final phase of Terminal 1’s multi-year renovation and opening of a new commercial area featuring an ambitious enhancement of the retail and dining offer.
The Moodie Davitt Report, represented by our Japanese correspondent Rachel Teo, was on location for today’s proceedings. Look out for her personalised report, coming soon.
To mark the opening, a ribbon-cutting ceremony was graced by KIX Representative Director and CEO Yoshiyuki Yamaya, Representative Director and Co-CEO Benoît Rulleau, along with other Kansai International Airport officials and partners (look out for our pictorial coverage, coming soon).
Kansai Airports Corporate Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer (Non Aeronautical) Fumio Owada told The Moodie Davitt Report the T1 restructuring will speed up passenger flow and enhance the airport’s allure to international visitors.
Sense of Place and (through an extensive food & beverage offer and, through retail, Japanese food products) Taste of Place have been cornerstones of the new commercial offer, he added.
Owada said KIX T1 and its commercial offer is now much more internationalised. Foreign travellers represent some 80% of the passenger base and although Chinese traffic is now significantly down (formerly 60-70% of the foreigner numbers, now more like 25%) due to the worsening political climate between Japan and China, there has been an encouraging increase in Korean, Taiwanese, and Southeast Asian tourists this year, spurred by the weak Japanese Yen.
The newly opened commercial area is located within a section that extends the central international departures area, first opened in December 2023, to both the north and south.
It brings together a total of 24 new outlets, including luxury brands, speciality retail stores offering popular regional products, and a variety of dining options, creating a space where passengers can enjoy a richer pre-departure experience.
In addition, a new ‘Call to Gate’ initiative has been introduced to streamline boarding announcements by announcing gate numbers at the appropriate time.
This allows passengers to spend more time in the enhanced central international departures area before proceeding to their gates, offering a more relaxed pre-departure experience.
With the opening of this area, the Terminal 1 renovation project at Kansai International Airport, which began in 2021, is now fully complete. As a result, the central international area has expanded to approximately 1.6 times its pre-renovation size.
Kansai Airports Group said it will continue to work in collaboration with its partners to create new travel experiences as the gateway to the Kansai region. ✈
