Japan Kansai International Airport is recognized as a place where no passenger’s luggage has been lost in the past 30 years.
While Singapore and Doha compete for the title of “World’s Best”, one airport focuses on another special achievement. That is Kansai International Airport, Osaka, which is recognized as a place where luggage has never been lost for 30 years.
In a notice published on April 30, Kansai International Airport (KIX) said they have not lost any luggage since opening in September 1994. Many passengers seemed happy and assured that their luggage would arrive safely, but there was a group of people who did not pay much attention to this achievement: the ground staff.
According to statistics, airport baggage handlers and ground staff at KIX have “done their jobs very well for the past 30 years”. The airport serves an average of 20 to 30 million passengers per year.
Passengers at Kansai airport. Image: AP
Kenji Takanishi, Kansai’s public relations officer, said employees were happy about the achievement, but didn’t feel like they were doing anything special. “They’re all doing their regular jobs,” Takanishi said.
Skytrax, a UK-based professional organization evaluating the world aviation market, recognized Kansai as having the world’s best airport baggage service, and awarded it in April.
Kansai Airport is built on an artificial island in Osaka, serving mainly passengers to Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe. In 2024, Kansai is ranked 18th best in the world, along with other airports in Japan, Haneda and Narita (both in Tokyo), at 4th and 5th place, respectively. Currently, Kansai is trying to improve level to get ready for the world’s largest fair, Expo 2025, which will take place in Osaka.
Skytrax, established in 1989, is a professional organization in the world aviation industry specializing in consulting and evaluating product and service quality with airlines and airports globally. The rankings are independently conducted annually by Skytrax based on survey results of airline passengers and 555 global airports.