Kagoshima International Airport (IATA: KOJ) is located in the city of Kirishima, Kagoshima, Japan. Built on the Jusanzukahara plateau, the airport is located 28km away from the Kagoshima city.
The public airport is owned by the Government of Japan, while its airfield is managed by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport of Japan and the terminal operations are managed by Kagoshima Airport Building Co.
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A terminal expansion project is being implemented at the airport for the renovation and refurbishment of the international passenger terminal. It is being undertaken to ensure the airport is future-ready and can meet the growing travel requirements of the people living in the region.
Construction work for the renovation of the international terminal commenced with the groundbreaking ceremony held in April 2019. Scheduled for completion in June 2020, the expansion project will enhance the passenger carrying capacity of the airport.
Details of the existing facilities at Kagoshima International Airport
Kagoshima airport occupies an area of 187.7ha and features a domestic terminal, an international terminal, a single runway, parking facilities, and a freight terminal building.
The existing international terminal building started operations in April 1982 and was later expanded in December 1997. Built in the 1970s, the domestic terminal building was expanded and opened to the public in November 1995. A new cargo storage facility was inaugurated in October 1988 to enhance the cargo carrying capacity of the airport.
The airport features a single asphalt-laid runway, which is designated as Runway 16/34. It measures 3,000m long and has the capacity to accommodate wide-bodied jets such as Boeing B777-300 and Airbus A300.
Details of the expansion
The expansion project involves the construction of new facilities within the international terminal. A new boarding bridge and an additional gate (Gate 2) will be constructed to ensure seamless movement of passengers.
The luggage collection area will be extended further in order to accommodate additional passenger luggage. Additional space will be created to set up more duty-free shops in the boarding lobby of the terminal.
Existing retail outlets and commercial shops in the departure lobby will be reconstructed. The arrival lobby in the terminal will be extended and new ticketing facilities will also be set up under the project. Multiple security screening areas will be created and new check-in counters will be established.
Funding required for the terminal expansion project is provided by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport of Japan. Construction works will be supervised by the Kagoshima Airport Building Co.
Renovation of facilities at the domestic terminal is being carried out concurrently, under a different project. Beginning in January 2019, multiple renovations will witness improvements to restaurant and restrooms in the terminal. Renovations at the domestic terminal are scheduled for completion by July 2019.
A new scale was installed in the international terminal in August 2018 to precisely weigh passenger carry-on luggage.
Kagoshima International Airport background
Kagoshima International Airport was officially opened in April 1972 and witnessed the arrival of the first foreign airline at the airport in May 1972. It was built as a replacement for the Imperial Japanese Navy airfield located in Kamoike. The airfield served as the main airport in the region from 1957 until the inception of the Kagoshima airport.
Passenger traffic at the airport has seen a steady rise in recent years. The airport currently offers aviation services to more than six million passengers a year and handles more than 40,000t of cargo.
