New Kansai International Airport Company Ltd (NKIAC) is the 2013 winner of the International Transport Forum’s Transport Achievement Award.
The award will be presented to Mr. Keiichi Ando, President of NKIAC, (23 May) during the 2013 Summit of Transport Ministers from the 54 member countries of the International Transport Forum (ITF), held in the city of Leipzig, Germany.
The ITF is an intergovernmental organisation that acts as a global transport policy think tank and organises an annual summit of Transport Ministers. It is part of the OECD family of organisations.
NKIAC is being honoured for its highly innovative model of funding key transport infrastructure.
Established by the Japanese government in 2012, NKIAC integrated the operation of Osaka’s two major air hubs, Kansai International Airport (KIX) and Osaka International Airport (ITM).
Under this new structure, funding for a dedicated low-cost carrier terminal and strategic price incentives for off-peak take-offs and landings have helped the emergence of a new low-cost carrier market in Japan. It has also spurred the development of a new airfreight logistics hub at KIX, boosting use of both airports.
The pooling of resource and cash flow have enabled innovative cross-funding, allowing government subsidies for KIX to be progressively reduced to zero.
With economic viability achieved, NKIAC is preparing the sale of concessions for the operation of both airports. This will be a first for major infrastructure in Japan and is expected to set an example for other projects.
- More information on the winner: 2013.internationaltransportforum.org/awards
- Download photos for media use: www.flickr.com/photos/internationaltransportforum
- The Summit on Twitter: @ITF_Forum (Hashtag: #FundingTransport)
About the International Transport Forum
The International Transport Forum (ITF) at the OECD is an intergovernmental organisation with 54 member countries. It acts as a strategic think tank with the objective of helping shape the transport policy agenda on a global level and ensuring that it contributes to economic growth, environmental protection, social inclusion and the preservation of human life and well-being.
In pursuit of its mission, the ITF gathers statistics and conducts co-operative research programmes; it also organises an annual summit which brings together Ministers and leading representatives from industry, civil society and academia to engage in focused debate about strategies for transport.
Statement by Mr. Akihiro OHTA
(Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Japan)
On occasion of the presentation of the 2013 Transport Achievement Award to New Kansai International Airport Company at the International Transport Forum’s Summit on “Funding Transport:”
“It is our great pleasure that this Award has been granted in recognition of NKIAC’s endeavors to integrate Kansai International Airport (KIX) and Osaka International Airport (ITM) and to improve business value through strategic and cross-sectional funding.”
“MLIT, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has actively supported NKIAC in many ways such as legislation of the Act for KIX and ITM Management Integration for Effective Operation, strategic promotion of the Open Sky Policy, and facilitation of LCC terminal construction, etc.”
“I hope this award will promote NKIAC’s efforts to improve international competitiveness by reforming and strengthening KIX as an international hub airport and to increase demand for air transport in Kansai through the appropriate and effective utilisation of KIX & ITM, leading to full privatisation through concession.”
