Governor wants to close Osaka Airport

The Yomiuri reports that Osaka governor Toru Hashimoto has told the Transport Ministry that he wants Osaka International Airport to be closed because its convenient location attracts domestic flights and inhibits the realization of Kansai Airport’s potential:

Hashimoto reportedly made the remarks Thursday during talks with Tanigaki in Tokyo. According to sources, Hashimoto also said: “With regard to emphasizing building a good international and domestic flight network at Kansai Airport, [Osaka Airport] is an obstacle. If [Osaka Airport] continues to operate, it’ll dominate the domestic flight market [due to its greater accessibility].”

11 comments - What do you think? Posted by James - September 7, 2008 at 11:26 am

Categories: General Japan Tags: osaka airport

http://www.feitclub.com feitclub

So…it’s convenience is what’s leading to it’s closure? Bureaucracy Now!!

Seriously though, I dig KIX a lot but it’s much, much further from my home than Itami. I can’t stand the thought of losing my local airport for the benefit of another airport (or airports, let’s not forget about Kobe which may also be closer to me than KIX). Maybe the restrictions on late-night flights in Itami riles someone in the Governor’s office?
The Overthinker

Itami sucks from the POV of people living under it though.
http://sleepytako.blogspot.com sleepytako

Itami airport is also a really cool building. Oh so very retro, and the roof observation deck is super cool. I’d miss that. And what would happen to that cool park where you can watch the planes take off there in Itami? Itami city just compeletly refurbished the playgrounds this year.

Also, what should happen to, ehm, the newly constructed KOBE AIRPORT? Does Hashimoto factor that into his thinking? Close Itami and I’m guessing that a majority of those local flights will move to Kobe.

Sigh…
Jake

Airliners.net has some good discussions about this in the archives. More and more airlines are pulling out of Kansai, and it’s already deep in the red. I suppose nixing Itami may help that but neither Kobe nor KIX are particularly convenient to central Osaka. I personally don’t see the need for three airports in such close proximity. Kobe shouldn’t have been built IMO.

The Overthinker

Actually, Kobe should have been built, but to KIX’s scale, rather than sticking KIX out in the STIX.

Niels

I don’t think Itami is that convenient either.
I mean, it’s only reachable by car, mono-rail (that goes around the city and does not connect easily to subway stations except at Dainichi) or bus.

As a tourist frequenting Osaka 2-3 times a year, I do find it annoying that I have to take a bus to get to where I want to be in Osaka.
KIX connects through Namba and Tennoji to virtually anywhere in Osaka.
Having said that, I do think Itami is a nice airport. They just should have a subway line connection to some place interesting in Osaka. Preferably an extension on the Tanimachi or Midousuji lines.
Jake

I think we can all agree that the “planning” that went into air transport to the Kansai region was horrible. Itami’s flight path takes it right over densely populated residential areas, and the capacity and regulations make it impossible to service any sort of viable international lines. Kansai is way outside the city, and while it is the best airport for visiting Osaka and Kyoto from abroad, the incredibly high landing fees are driving away airlines in droves, and it is so poorly publicized that even people coming to Japan solely to see Kyoto are flying into Narita and taking the bullet train. Now we have Kobe, a massively expensive project rammed through despite huge amounts of resident complaints, which sees very little traffic and is pretty much redundant considering the proximity of Itami and KIX. There are three different airports that all suck in their own special ways.
jmadsen

What will they do when KIX finally sinks into the bay? Typical lack of foresight….

Seriously, we would never go to KIX for a domestic flight. It’s an expensive pain in the #$% to get to for anyone outside of Osaka.

Jake

Nor I, but like I said, what are the options? Itami has had 4-engine planes banned from service, so no major int’l traffic there. Kobe doesn’t have the capacity to handle int’l traffic either. The only other option is to kill KIX and route all the traffic either Kobe-Narita or Itami-Narita, adding another leg to flights, or have everyone trek all the way to Nagoya.

No matter how you look at it, Kansai is one massive clusterf*ck when it comes to air travel.

Pingback: ShortWoman» Blog Archive » 30 Shorties of Night
The Overthinker

I am glad that I have never had a long transit at KIX (or any transit, rather). The place is drab airside. In the extreme.

What I like about KIX:
Flights are often cheaper than from Narita, oddly enough.
Trees in the main lobby.
Nice pink tones in the main lobby, nice coloured chairs in the dept. lounges.
Most Important: a Lawson in the basement: avoid overpriced airport food!
No passport check to get in.

What I don’t like about KIX:
The stupid code. What happened to KIA? I get my kix / on flight sixty-six?
The design: looks like a high school gymnasium.
Grey, grey, grey, and more grey.

Let’s all use Centrair. That’s quite nice, and the viewing desk is the best I’ve ever seen….

Governor wants to close Osaka Airport

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