Kansai International Airport Co., Ltd. (KIAC) has announced that it will open its new 'KIX Airside Avenue' in the Transit Area at Osaka International Airport on March 15, increasing the number of duty free shops,

restaurants and service facilities from 29 to 41.

The total floor area has been increased by 150% and this represents the largest renovation in the airport's Transit Area since Kansai International Airport's opening in 1994.

According to KIAC, new or renovated shops and facilities will include the duty free shops themselves, plus boutiques for Coach, Tiffany, Swarovski, Cartier, Bvlgari, and others.

New F&B facilities include a new a Japanese Sushi restaurant, plus a cafe and other facilities such as a free kid's room and a smoking room.

KIAC says that it aims to provide a travellers' SCENE (Smart, Comfortable, Exciting, Nice, Enjoy) to all passengers before boarding.

COMPLICATED RETAIL STRUCTURE
Jatco operates duty free outlets at Kansai International Airport in Osaka on behalf of the airport owner, Kansai International Airport Co Ltd (KIAC), to which it also supplies duty free merchandise. Duty free shopping facilities at KIAC currently consist of 20 shops and boutiques of various sizes totalling 2,343sq m, with shops run by six operators.

KIAC itself owns the airport?s largest duty free operation with six duty free shops totalling 996sq m in area and four brand name boutiques (two Bulgari and two Cartier outlets) totalling 248sq m in area, a combined total of 1,244sq m.

KIAC?s duty free floor area currently occupies slightly more than half the present total duty free retail area in Kansai airport. KIAC?s north wing main shop – which includes a watch boutique and a warehouse area – covers 445sq m, while the company?s main south wing shop covers 230sq m. KIAC?s smaller south and north wing duty free shops each range from 100sq m to 114sq m in floor area, while the company?s four boutiques are between 60 to 65sq m each in area.

In addition to KIAC, five other operators run duty free shops in Kansai as tenants of the airport authority over a combined area of 721sq m, plus six brand name boutiques covering 378sq m.

Besides KIAC, the other five operators at Kansai include Asahi Airport Service Co Ltd (AAS) which operates a mixed category duty free shop and two stand-alone boutiques stocking Montblanc and Alfred Dunhill goods in Kansai Airport?s south wing; Blanc de Blancs Co Ltd with a mixed category duty free shop and a Herm?s boutique in Kansai Airport?s south wing; Osaka International Airport Terminal Co Ltd (OAT) with a mixed category duty free shop and a Salvatore Ferragamo boutique in Kansai Airport?s north wing.

Airport Senmon Daiten Co Ltd (ASD) also operates a mixed category duty free shop and a Herm?s boutique in Kansai Airport?s north wing; and finally ANA Trading Duty Free Co Ltd (ADF) with a mixed category duty free shop and a stand-alone boutique stocking Celine items in Kansai Airport?s north wing.