Osaka International to open renovated North and South terminals

Osaka International Airport in Japan has announced the reopening of its North and South terminals, with the first flights due on August 5. The terminals were not closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but to undergo renovation, a process that began in 2016.

According to the airport, the new terminals have been designed following a ‘100% visibility’ concept, whereby passengers see all available retail stores as they transit through the facility. In total, 31 outlets will be operational across the two terminals.

A total of 12 automated pre-security gates have also been installed in Terminal 1 at Kansai International Airport, approximately 20 miles southwest of Osaka. Supplied by specialist Vision-Box, the new gates automate the boarding confirmation process at the departure gates, removing the need for inspectors to manually check and scan passenger boarding passes, speeding up the overall throughflow of passengers.

Commenting on the new capabilities, Jeremy Goldstrich, COO at Kansai Airports, “We are delighted to partner with Vision-Box to implement cutting-edge contactless automated gates at Terminal 1, allowing for a seamless travel experience for passengers. By automating the boarding pass confirmation procedure at the departure gate, we will realize a smoother departure procedure.

“Until now, an inspector took a boarding pass from the customer in front of the international security checkpoint and read it with a scanner to determine whether or not to pass it. Kansai Airports will continue to proactively introduce cutting-edge technology to improve the convenience of the airport and provide a comfortable and new travel experience.”