Airport News Japan

Kansai Airport 6th Best in World, 2nd Cleanest - British Research Company Announcement

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Kansai International Airport Terminal

Kansai International Airport (Izumisano, Osaka Prefecture) ranked sixth overall in the 2008 ranking of world airports announced on July 14 by research company Skytrax, based in London.

It was the only Japanese airport to rank in the top ten, making a big move up from ninth place the previous year.

The ranking comes from the World Airport Awards, which have been ongoing since 1989, and crown the top winner Airport of the Year. Surveys of approximately 8.2 million passengers in 97 countries were taken over a span of ten months from August 2007 to May 2008. Over 190 airports were evaluated.

Questionnaires for the survey were completed by conducting interviews with airport visitors, who ranked them on over 40 factors including the quality of service and facilities at the time of departure or arrival, terminal cleanliness, efficiency and courtesy of staff, clarity of terminal signage, security procedures, emigration and immigration inspections, dining and shopping.

Kansai Airport ranked second in the Terminal Cleanliness category. The comments on the airport at the research company’s website include many praising its cleanliness and efficiency.

Airport President Atsushi Murayama remarked, "I am overjoyed that we are ranked sixth in the world, and we aim to make efforts at further increasing visitor satisfaction at the airport."

Asian airports dominated the overall ranking with first place going to Honk Kong International Airport (China), second to Singapore Changi Airport, and third to Seoul Inchon Airport (South Korea).