Roberta Aguirre
Osaka, Japan, is served by two major airports: Kansai International Airport and Itami Airport. Kansai International Airport, located on an artificial island in Osaka Bay, is the primary international airport in the Greater Osaka Area. It opened in 1994 to relieve overcrowding at Osaka International Airport (Itami Airport), which is closer to downtown Osaka and primarily serves domestic routes. Kansai International Airport offers better public transport connections and has a larger scale of amenities and lounges due to its more diverse international route network.
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What You'll Learn
Kansai International Airport
The airport opened on September 4, 1994, to relieve overcrowding at Osaka International Airport (Itami Airport), which is closer to Osaka. Kansai was the first airport in Japan to operate 24 hours a day. The construction of the airport involved building an artificial island, with a sea wall made of rock and 48,000 tetrapods. The project faced challenges due to the sinking of the island, and adjustable columns were designed to support the terminal building. The total cost of the airport, as of 2008, was $20 billion, including land reclamation, two runways, terminals, and facilities.
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Itami Airport
Osaka does have an airport, and it is called Itami Airport (ITM). It is also known as Osaka International Airport or Osaka Airport (Ōsaka Kūkō). The airport is located about 10 kilometres north of central Osaka, in the densely populated suburbs of Itami and Toyonaka. A portion of the airport property is also located in Ikeda, a city in Osaka Prefecture. The airport was named after the city of Itami in Hyōgo Prefecture, as most of its land is situated there.
In 1994, the opening of the Kansai International Airport (KIX) in Osaka Bay took over all of Itami's international flights and some of its domestic flights. Despite this, Itami Airport remains a busy airport, serving over 16 million passengers in 2018 and handling a large number of domestic flights to more than 30 destinations across Japan. It is served by major airlines such as JAL, ANA, and IBEX Airlines.
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Osaka's airport transport links
Osaka is served by two airports: Kansai International Airport for international flights and Itami Airport for domestic. Kansai International Airport is located on an artificial island in Osaka Bay and is the primary international airport in the Greater Osaka Area. It is about 38 km southwest of Ōsaka Station. Itami Airport, on the other hand, is located in the densely populated suburbs of Itami and Toyonaka and is about 11 km or 6.5 miles north of central Osaka.
There are various transport options available to get to and from Osaka's airports. One option is to take a limousine bus, which offers a direct connection between the airports and several points in Osaka. The Osaka Airport Limousine bus service between Itami Airport and downtown Osaka takes around 30 minutes and costs Y640. There are also night bus services from Kansai Airport to Osaka Station and Nankai Namba Station, which operate after the railway services have stopped. A one-way ticket for an adult between Kansai Airport and Osaka Station costs 1,550 yen, while a child ticket costs 780 yen. The journey time is approximately 1 hour.
Another option is to take a taxi. A private taxi from Itami Airport to downtown Osaka costs around Y5000 and takes about 25 minutes. A regular taxi from Kansai International Airport into Osaka will cost at least US$100. You can also take a shared taxi, such as the MK Skygate Shuttle.
Osaka's airports are also well-connected to the city's rail network. The Kansai Airport Rapid Service connects Kansai Airport to Osaka Station, Tennoji Station, Shin-Osaka Station, and Nankai Namba Station. The travel time between Kansai Airport and Osaka Station is roughly 65-70 minutes, while the journey to Tennoji Station takes about 50-55 minutes. The Limited Express Haruka offers a faster option, with a travel time of 35 minutes to Tennoji and 50 minutes to Shin-Osaka.
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Osaka's airport history
Osaka has two airports: Kansai International Airport and Itami Airport.
Itami Airport, located 11 km (7 mi) north of Osaka Station, is the closest airport to Osaka and is the primary domestic airport for the Kansai region of Japan. Itami Airport opened as No. 2 Osaka Airport in 1939. Prior to the opening of Itami, Kizugawa Airport was Osaka's main civilian airport. In 1931, plans were drafted to construct a new "No. 1 Osaka Airport" near the mouth of the Yamato River, but concerns about fog and protests from Kobe-based businesses meant that the government instead built the "No. 2 Airport" for land-based aircraft. Construction of Itami Airport (then No. 2 Osaka Airport) began in July 1936 on a 53-hectare (131-acre) site. The airport was primarily used by the Imperial Japanese Army during its early years and was taken over by U.S. occupation forces after World War II, who expanded it to 221 hectares and renamed it Itami Air Base. In March 1959, the airport was returned to Japanese control and renamed Osaka Airport.
By the 1960s, the Kansai region was losing trade, development, and firms to Tokyo. Itami Airport was facing overcrowding as jet-age air travel became more popular, and due to its location in densely populated areas, it could not be expanded. In the late 1960s, planners proposed a new airport near Kobe and Osaka to help revitalise the region. However, Kobe refused the plan, so the airport was moved to a more southerly location on Osaka Bay. Kansai International Airport was constructed on an artificial island in Osaka Bay, allowing it to operate 24 hours per day, and opened on 4 September 1994. The construction of the airport was a massive civil engineering project, requiring the involvement of 10,000 workers and 80 ships to complete a 30-40 metre layer of earth over the sea floor and inside the sea wall.
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Osaka's airport amenities
Osaka has two major airports: Kansai International Airport and Osaka International Airport, also known as Itami Airport. Kansai International Airport is located on an artificial island in Osaka Bay, 28 miles south of Osaka. It is the primary international airport in the Greater Osaka Area and the closest international airport to the cities of Osaka, Kyoto, and Kobe. Kansai International Airport offers a wide range of amenities, including lounges, shops, and food options. There are pay-to-enter lounges in the airport, as well as lounges accessible through membership programs or with an economy class ticket. The airport also provides free loaner strollers, baggage carts, and luggage storage services. WiFi, mobile charging points, and tourist information services are also available.
Itami Airport, on the other hand, is located closer to downtown Osaka, just 12 miles away. This airport exclusively serves domestic lines across Japan and its islands. While Itami Airport may have fewer amenities compared to Kansai International Airport, it is still a convenient option for domestic passengers due to its proximity to the city. It is easily accessible by car or taxi, and there is also a shuttle bus service available.
Both airports offer a range of amenities, but Kansai International Airport stands out for its larger scale and more diverse options. It is well-connected to the city by public transport, with a direct train reaching the airport in approximately 50 minutes. Itami Airport, however, does not have direct train access, and passengers must rely on the shuttle bus or other transportation options.
Kansai International Airport is an impressive architectural structure, with Terminal 1 boasting a modern design. The airport's unique construction on an artificial island involved the excavation of three mountains and the use of 180 million cubic meters of fill to create the island. The sea wall, made of rock and 48,000 tetrapods, was completed in 1989, and a bridge connecting the island to the mainland was finished in 1990.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Osaka has two major airports: Kansai International Airport and Itami Airport.
Kansai International Airport is the primary international airport in Osaka. It is located on an artificial island in Osaka Bay and is about 28 miles from the city.
Itami Airport, also known as Osaka International Airport, currently serves domestic routes within Japan and its islands.
You can get to Kansai International Airport by train, bus, or taxi. While the airport is further from Osaka than Itami Airport, Japan's efficient rail network ensures passengers can reach the airport in around 50 minutes.
Kansai International Airport has a range of amenities, including lounges, shops, and restaurants. There are also currency exchange offices and a Tourist Information Centre.
