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Kansai International Airport

airport, Ōsaka, Japan

Quick Summary

Kansai International Airport (KIX) is a major airport serving the Osaka metropolitan area in Japan. It is situated on an artificial island in Osaka Bay, a design choice made to mitigate noise pollution and enable 24-hour operations.1

The airport's Terminal 1, designed by Renzo Piano, was completed in 1994 and is notable for its engineering and elegant design, resembling a glider from above. It is one of the longest buildings in the world, stretching 1 mile (1.7 km) and clad in stainless steel panels. KIX connects to the mainland via a 2-mile (3 km) bridge and serves as a crucial hub for domestic and international air travel, with Osaka being the second-largest center for air traffic in Japan after Tokyo. The airport was designed to withstand seismic activity and has undergone expansions and improvements to counter issues like island sinking and runway flooding.12

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