New Kansai International Airport Company Ltd. announced that it will build a new terminal in the secondly developed part of the offshore airport to become its third passenger terminal for an exclusive use by Low Cost Carriers (LCC). Terminal 3 will be located across the parking lots of existing LCC Terminal, which is expected to reach its limit of capacity due to increasing LCC flights. With an apron with six spots to be newly built, the capacity will be doubled to 8 million passengers. A designing of the new building will start in 2014 and Terminal 3 is scheduled to start the operation in the second half of FY2016.

Kansai International Airport, located in suburban Osaka, is Japan’s largest LCC hub, which has seen an opening of its first LCC Terminal of 30,000 m2 floor area in October 2012. The company’s plan includes construction of a 33,000m2 floor area terminal building, a building for checking in and an apron with six parking spots and renovation of Terminal 2. After completion, existing Terminal 2 will be used for domestic flights and Terminal 3 for international flights. (2013/12/27)