VINCI Airports and its partner ORIX, concession owners of Kansai International Airport,, Japan, began modernization works of the airport’s Terminal 1 on May 28, the largest works program since the airport was opened in 1994.
In line with Japan’s tourism strategy and economic development of the Kansai region, the works continue and accelerate the modernization of the Kansai Airport, initiated from the start of the concession in 2016. The goal is to create more capacity and improve the passenger experience without building a new terminal – an approach based on optimizing existing spaces that fits with VINCI Airports’ environmental objectives.
The works will involve enlarging and completely renovating the airport’s international passenger journey: security controls, boarding, departures, retail spaces, and arrivals. The new journey will showcase the architecture of the building designed by Renzo Piano, while new technologies will optimize flow and enhance the passenger experience. Domestic passengers will also benefit from a new, more functional, and compact space with a broader range of services and a vast retail offering available right up to the boarding point.
All the renovated spaces will be designed to the most stringent environmental standards for reducing energy consumption and will enhance accessibility and comfort for all users. The works, supported by the Japanese government, will make the airport the “First Pavilion” of the Osaka-Kansai Japan Expo 2025. They will offer visitors an immersion in a welcoming and experiential space that will showcase Japan’s innovation culture, right from their arrival in the country.
