_Agata_Gładykowska_Alamy.jpg?#)
Kansai International Airport T1 Grand Opening set for 27 March
The March opening will add 11 new dining and retail options to the terminal.
JAPAN. Kansai International Airport is gearing up for the Grand Opening of its upgraded Terminal 1 on 27 March, with the completion of the main facilities.
This marks the latest milestone after the successful completion of Phase 1 (the new domestic area) in 2022 and Phase 2 in December 2023 (see part of our on-location report here), which unveiled T1’s airside departures area.
As reported, the airside departures area features a 2,500sq m KIX Duty Free walk-through store, a luxury retail zone with top brands such as Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Hermès, and an expanded F&B lineup, including Café Dior by Anne-Sophie Pic.
Kansai Airports’ four-phase, five-year redevelopment will transform the passenger facility by 2026.
The March opening will add 11 new dining and retail options to the terminal.
Among them are two KIX Duty Free arrivals shops located in the north and south sections of the international arrival commercial area, Level 3.
Also opening in March are a Lawson convenience store; travel essentials specialist Gowell Select; One Village One Product Market; and Gacha-Matsuri, all located in the Level 4 Commercial area.
Japanese restaurant Nihonbashi Tendon Kaneko Hannosuke joins the diverse F&B line-up at the Commercial area, Level 2 starting next month.
Other stores set to open in March include WiFi rental and SIM card providers Global WiFi, Imotono WiFi and Telecom Square in the Commercial area, Level 4.
The completion of Phase 3 also includes a new international security checkpoint and an upgraded international lounge.
Kansai Airports’ expansive redevelopment programme is part of a four-phase, five-year project set to reshape the entire passenger facility by 2026.
The overall plan will ultimately increase international passenger capacity to 40 million (compared with around 23 million pre-pandemic).
The T1 renovation focused on expanding international flight capacity, optimising both landside and airside to enhance passenger experience.
Major upgrades include redesigned international and domestic areas, expanded security checkpoints, and enhanced commercial spaces.
The renovation also prepares the airport for higher traffic during Expo 2025, Osaka, Kansai, Japan (13 April to 13 October 2025), strengthening its position as the gateway to Kansai. 
