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| Passengers wait outside a gate of Terminal 2 at Kansai International Airport, Japan's first and the only exclusive terminal for low-cost carriers (LCCs) in Osaka, Japan, Thursday. Gimpo International Airport aims to have its own LCC terminal. / Courtesy of Korea Airport Corp. |
By Kim Jae-won
OSAKA/JAPAN ― Gimpo International Airport aims to revive its old glory by launching a specialized terminal for low-cost carriers (LCCs).
A group of delegates from Korea Airport Corp. (KAC), a state company which runs 14 local airports including Gimpo, visited Kansai International Airport (KIX) Thursday to learn lessons from the Osaka-based airport which launched Japan's first and the only LCC-specialized terminal in March 2012.
KIX loaned its second terminal exclusively for Peach Aviation, an LCC affiliate of All Nippon Airways (ANA).
"The concept of Terminal 2 (T2) is functionality, economic efficiency, safety and security," said Koji Ishikawa, a general manager of the corporate communication department at New Kansai International Airport Co., which operates both KIX and Osaka International Airport.
Ishikawa said his company cut construction costs drastically by using relatively cheap materials and designing it simply like a warehouse.
"Customers benefit from the low cost. Passenger service facilities charges amount to 1,200 yen per person at the T2, about 45 percent of that of T1, which reaches 2,650 yen per person," he said.
The company also charges less to Peach for using the terminal, which contributes to cutting air fares further. Ishikawa, however, declined to unveil how much the airliner pays for the loan, saying it is corporate secret.
Hirowa Takahashi, 43, a Japanese tourist, said that he is a big fan of Peach because it is cheap. "I often use the airline when I go to Busan. I like it because it is much cheaper than Korean Air," he said.
He said that Peach charges him only 10,000 yen for a one-way trip to Busan while Korean Air does 70,000 yen for the same route.
KAC CEO Kim Seok-ki said that his company wants to follow in the footsteps of the Japanese company. "The LCC terminal may create new demand if it is launched," Kim said at a press conference in Tokyo, Friday.
But, he said that he will cooperate with the government carefully on the matter because the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has authority to approve the plan. "I know that the decision is up to the government."
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