Over 1,400 International Flights from KIX Scheduled for Winter 2018

Kansai Airports is delighted to announce that the number of international scheduled flights at Kansai International Airport (KIX) for winter 2018 (during March peak) is expected to top 1,400, hitting an all-time high of 1,451 flights a week, up 95 flights per week compared to the 2017 winter schedule and up 69 flights per week compared to the 2018 summer schedule. This is partly driven by expanded network to China as well as the start of new and additional flights to Southeast Asian destinations. International passenger flights will hit a record of 1,309 flights a week, while international cargo flights will stand at 142 flights a week, the sixth busiest winter schedule in the airport history.

For Southeast Asian destinations, Vietnam Airlines (VN) will start flying to Da Nang seven times a week. Vietnam-based low-cost carrier VietJet Air (VJ) will also operate seven weekly  flights each to Hanoi starting this November and Ho Chi Minh starting this December. On the Thai route, Thailand-based budget carrier NokScoot (XW) will launch new service to Don Mueang, Bangkok, running four weekly flights. These will bring the total number of weekly flights to Southeast Asian destinations to 177 (+24 flights from winter 2017). 

Mid- to long-haul networks will also be expanded this winter. In the European segment, Finnair (AY) will operate seven weekly flights to Helsinki, up 2 flights from the 2017 winter season, while Air France (AF), KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (KL), and Lufthansa (LH) each will increase the frequency by one weekly flight this winter. As a result, weekly flights to European destinations total 26 (+5 flights from winter 2017). Turning to the Middle Eastern region, Emirates (EK) will introduce a double-deck A380 superjumbo on its Dubai route, significantly increasing its seating capacity. As for the Oceania region, Qantas Airways (QF) will increase the frequency of flights to Sydney to four times weekly.

Short-haul route networks will also be expanded with KIX handling 369 weekly flights from
China’s mainland this winter (+33 flights from winter 2017). Xiamen Air (MF) will begin new
service to Hangzhou offering five weekly flights, while Shandong Airlines (SC) will increase the frequency of flights from Jinan to seven times weekly. Tianjin Airlines (GS) will also add service to Tianjin, operating two daily flights, 14 weekly flights.

Highlights of our domestic network, meanwhile, include Jetstar Japan (GK) introducing new service between KIX and Kumamoto beginning October 27 for the first time since March 2016. 

The airline also plans to launch new service to Kochi this December, becoming the first low-cost carrier directly connecting KIX with Kochi. The KIX-Kochi route will become available again for the first time since October 2009.

International passenger flights operated by budget carriers total 517 flights per week (+43 flights from winter 2017), and account for 40% of the total. Jeju Air (7C), Korean low-cost carrier, will start flying from T2 in November after relocation.

The number of domestic passenger flights operated by budget carriers stands at 41 flights a day (+2 flights from December 2017), accounting for more than half of the total domestic flights.