KANSAI AIRPORTS 10th Anniversary
\nKansai Airports
\nKansai Airports began operating Kansai International Airport (KIX) and
\nOsaka Itami Airport (ITAMI) in April 2016 and marked its 10th anniversary in April 2026.
\nAs a milestone on the path toward the next stage,
\nwe look back on and share the journey of the past ten years.
\nHome Concession 10th Anniversary
\n10-Year Journey
\nSince beginning operations in 2016, Kansai Airports Group has continued to take on challenges to innovate the airport experience and create new travel experiences. We invite you to explore our history to date through a collection of photographs.<\/p>\n
Image of the new Terminal 2
\nApril 1, 2026
\nRenovation of Terminal 2 at KIX (domestic)
\nAn airplane flying across the sunrise sky
\nApril 1, 2026
\n10th anniversary of the concession commencement
\nKansai Airports logo.
\nDecember 1, 2015
\nBirth of a new airport operating company
\nGroup photo of Kansai Airport staff
\nApril 1, 2016
\nLaunch of Japan’s first airport concession-based operation
\nPhoto of the LCC Terminal
\nJanuary 28, 2017
\nExpansion of the dedicated LCC Terminal for the LCC era
\nPhoto of the start of integrated management of the three Kansai Airports
\nApril 1, 2018
\nIntegrated management of the three Kansai airports
\nPhoto of the grand opening of Osaka Itami Airport
\nAugust 5, 2020
\nGrand opening at ITAMI
\nPhoto of the grand opening ceremony
\nMarch 27, 2025
\nGrand opening of Terminal 1 at KIX
\nPhoto of the ribbon-cutting ceremony
\nApril 18, 2025
\nLaunch of international charter flights at KOBE
\nDec. 1, 2015
\nKansai Airports logo.
\nBirth of a new airport operating company
\nKansai Airports was established on December 1, 2015.
\nLeveraging private-sector know-how, the company embarked on a new challenge to elevate airport operations in the Kansai region to the new stage.
\nApr. 1, 2016
\nGroup photo of Kansai Airport staff
\nLaunch of Japan’s first airport concession-based operation
\nKansai Airports began operating KIX and ITAMI under private-sector management, marking the start of operations at Kansai\u2019s two core airports serving both domestic and international flights.
\nJan. 28, 2017
\nPhoto of the LCC Terminal
\nExpansion of the dedicated LCC Terminal for the LCC era
\nKIX’s Terminal 2 (International) opened, enhancing the airport’s capacity and competitiveness in response to increasingly diverse air travel demand.
\nApr. 1, 2018
\nPhoto of the start of integrated management of the three Kansai Airports
\nIntegrated management of the three Kansai airports
\nKansai Airports Kobe began operating Kobe Airport (KOBE). This marked the start of integrated management of the three Kansai airports by Kansai Airports Group, enabling airport operations that make the most of each airport\u2019s distinct role and strengths.
\nAug. 5, 2020
\nPhoto of the grand opening of Osaka Itami Airport
\nGrand opening at ITAMI
\nIn its first major renovation in nearly 50 years, the terminal was transformed into a comfortable and refined space, featuring Japan’s first smart lanes for domestic flights and a newly introduced walk-through commercial area.
\nMar. 27, 2025
\nPhoto of the grand opening ceremony
\nGrand opening of Terminal 1 at KIX
\nThe grand opening marked the completion of the first large-scale renovation since the airport opened in 1994. With the expansion of security checkpoints and the renewal of the commercial area, the terminal is fully equipped to accommodate growing air travel demand.
\nApr. 18, 2025
\nPhoto of the ribbon-cutting ceremony
\nLaunch of international charter flights at KOBE
\nInternational charter flights began operations at KOBE, opening up new possibilities for connecting the local region with the world.
\nApr. 1, 2026
\nImage of the new Terminal 2
\nRenovation of Terminal 2 at KIX (domestic)
\nThe airport provides a faster, smoother, and less stressful travel experience by promoting self-service check-in procedures, expanding the boarding lounge, and introducing a new food court.
\nApr. 1, 2026
\nAn airplane flying across the sunrise sky
\n10th anniversary of the concession commencement
\nCelebrating its 10th anniversary, Kansai Airports Group is embarking on a new phase of challenges and growth for the decade ahead.
\nOur Challenge
\nWe introduce the journey of challenges the three Kansai airports have taken over the years. Building on this legacy, KAP Group is taking on new initiatives to put innovation in the airport experience into practice. As a leading airport operator in Japan, we will continue, as we always have and will in the years ahead, to challenge ourselves to create new value.<\/p>\n
Our initiatives in various areas. Safety initiatives: Build strong airports that can respond appropriately to emergencies and recover quickly. Fast travel initiatives: Promote digitalization to improve efficiency in airport operations. Environmental initiatives: Actively collaborate with local communities to realize a sustainable society.<\/p>\n
Our challenges
\nOur Future
\n“Fly High” is an owned media platform that focuses on the people who support Kansai Airports Group. By sharing the thoughts of airport staff and highlighting a variety of initiatives, it offers deeper insights into on-the-ground airport operations and the challenges encountered each day.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
KANSAI AIRPORTS 10th Anniversary Kansai Airports Kansai Airports began operating Kansai International Airport (KIX) and Osaka Itami Airport (ITAMI) in April 2016 and marked its 10th anniversary in April 2026. As a milestone on the path toward the next stage, we look back on and share the journey of the past ten years. Home Concession […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":0,"parent":6067,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-special-10th.php","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_locale":"en_US","_original_post":"https:\/\/www.kansai-airports.co.jp\/?page_id=6063","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-6069","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","en-US"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kansai-airports.co.jp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6069","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kansai-airports.co.jp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kansai-airports.co.jp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kansai-airports.co.jp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/23"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kansai-airports.co.jp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6069"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.kansai-airports.co.jp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6069\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6179,"href":"https:\/\/www.kansai-airports.co.jp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6069\/revisions\/6179"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kansai-airports.co.jp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6067"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kansai-airports.co.jp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6069"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}