Kansai International Airport (KIX) Photo Diary

2012-06-17 | Airport Photography

Recently, I took the opportunity during a business trip to visit Kansai Airport to watch airplanes.

Why go to Kansai Airport? Because there is a massive observation deck specifically designed for tourists and travelers to observe takeoffs and landings. It’s called Sky View. You can watch various flights up close, and there are facilities like a museum, restaurant, and souvenir shop. It would be a shame to miss it!

Kansai International Airport is located in Izumisano City, Osaka Prefecture, Japan. It serves as the primary international gateway for the Keihanshin (Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe) metropolitan area and the Kansai region. It is situated on an artificial island in Osaka Bay, off the coast of Izumisano, approximately 5 kilometers from the mainland.

The way to get to Sky View is to take the free airport shuttle bus from Airport Bus Stop No. 1. It runs every 20 minutes, which is quite convenient. Sky View consists of two buildings, connected by a sky bridge on the 4th floor. The rooftop is the observation deck. It offers a panoramic view of the passenger terminal, the Apron, and the Runway. It is truly a great spot for aviation photography.

The Runway and Visitors:

The sign on the observation deck shows Kansai Airport is 1800 km from Beijing and 6600 km from Hawaii.

I felt that perhaps due to the geographical proximity, there were a huge number of flights from China and South Korea. In just a few hours from the Chinese side alone, I saw Air China, China Eastern, China Southern, Shenzhen Airlines, China Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong Express, and Australian airlines. While waiting for the bus, I walked around the airport for a few minutes and found that there were really a lot of Chinese people—tourists, conference attendees, business inspectors—the stream of people was endless. At the same time, the sheer number of Korean airlines was also surprising. Additionally, seeing various flights from Qatar, Turkey, Indonesia, and Australia in the Asia-Pacific region was a real treat for the eyes. I basically managed to photograph all of Japan’s domestic airlines as well. Especially the aircraft of Peach Aviation, which was just established in the spring; I saw and photographed 3 of them on my first sighting.

Regarding aircraft types, it was mostly Boeing 737s, 747s, 767s, 777s and Airbus A319s, A320s, and A330s. With the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 being the most numerous. Unfortunately, I didn’t encounter the latest models like the Boeing 787 or Airbus A380 today. That is a small regret.

Alright, less talk, let’s get to the photos. I stayed there for three and a half hours that day and took over 600 photos. I’ve selected a small portion for everyone to enjoy.

The Apron and Airport Terminal