Travel & Leisure Kansai Airport CEO envisions travelers taking flying taxis to Osaka casino

Yasuaki Mikami hopes to attract wealthy visitors in shift away from budget carriers

Cumulative passenger traffic at Kansai International Airport since its 1994 opening has exceeded 600 million. (Photo by Atsushi Ohoka)

OSAKA -- The operator of Kansai International Airport, which has grown by attracting low-cost carriers, now sees a chance to capture higher-value travelers with the planned 2030 opening of a hotel-and-casino resort in Osaka, the company's CEO told Nikkei.