Itami Airport? Kansai airport? Which airport is closer to Osaka city?

Last Updated on September 26, 2023 by Nouman kaleem

There are two airports in Osaka Prefecture, Itami Airport and Kansai Airport. While Itami Airport is closer to Osaka City than Kansai Airport, there are LCC flights to Kansai Airport so that you can book cheap flights. This time, we have summarized the travel time and charges from Itami Airport and Kansai Airport to Osaka City and the differences in airline charges that can be used at the two airports.

Itami Airport is close to Osaka City!

Itami Airport is located in Toyonaka City, which is adjacent to Osaka City and is easier to access from Osaka City than Kansai Airport. On the other hand, Kansai Airport is the largest airport in western Japan, built on an artificial island in Osaka Bay. Although it is inferior to Itami Airport in terms of access from Osaka City, it is more convenient than Itami Airport in terms of access from southern Osaka Prefectures such as Izumi City and Sakai City.

Another feature is that Itami Airport has more routes (domestic flights). Although Kansai Airport has a small number of routes, it is operated by LCC (low-cost carriers) such as Jetstar, Peach Aviation, and Vanilla Air.

Is it a train to move from Itami Airport to Osaka City? Bus?

The transfer fee and time from Itami Airport to Osaka City (Umeda Station / Namba Station) are as follows. There are two ways to access Osaka City from Itami Airport by public transportation: train and bus. Travel time is generally shorter on buses than on trains, but buses are affected by road congestion, so it’s a good idea to check the road conditions on the day.

The travel time between Kansai Airport and Umeda Station / Namba Station does not differ much whether you travel by train or bus. If you’re heading to Umeda Station, the bus is cheaper than the train. The bus stop at Kansai Airport is in both terminals for Umeda Station and in Terminal 1 for Namba Station.

The nearest station to Kansai Airport is JR Kansai Airport Station. Terminal 1 is directly connected to the station, making it easy to move around. Terminal 1 has JAL / ANA, Jetstar, and Vanilla Air check-in counters and boarding gates. Terminal 2 is far from the nearest station to the airport and takes about 10 minutes by shuttle bus. Terminal 2 has a Peach Aviation check-in counter and more.

Those prioritizing access to Osaka City should use Itami Airport instead of Kansai Airport.

Kansai Airport is far from Osaka City, but you can book cheap flights!

You can book cheap flights with LCC flights to Kansai Airport. The following table summarizes the prices of flights between Sapporo and Osaka.

Suppose you compare the price of ANA’s early purchase discount 75 days before New Chitose Airport-Itami Airport with the price of Peach Aviation at New Chitose Airport-Kansai Airport. In that case, there is a price difference of about 4,000 yen. However, LCCs such as Jetstar and Peach Aviation have disadvantages such as additional charges for depositing luggage and narrow seat spacing.

Kobe Airport in Hyogo Prefecture is also an option

As airports near Osaka, there is “Kobe Airport” in addition to Itami Airport and Kansai Airport. Kobe Airport-Umeda Station can be reached in about an hour by train. The fee is 650 yen.

Although Kobe Airport has fewer routes than Kansai Airport and Itami Airport, it is operated by Skymark, and depending on the type of discount, you can book cheap flights like LCC. At Skymark, you can take advantage of a discount called “Ima-Toku,” which changes your ticket price depending on the number of seats left. The New Chitose Airport-Kobe Airport ticket price when using Ima-Toku is 5,870 yen.