Electric shuttle buses used at the Expo repurposed at KIX: The first electric ramp buses in Japanese airports

Nankai Bus Co., Ltd. and Kansai Airports are pleased to announce that four electric shuttle buses used for the transportation at the Kansai-Osaka Expo will be used as ramp buses at Kansai International Airport (KIX) starting 6 November 2025. Nankai Bus operated electric shuttle buses between JR Sakurajima Station and the Expo venue, serving a large number of visitors.

These buses contributed to the mitigation of traffic congestion and promotion of carbon neutrality. The same electric buses will now be used mainly to transport passengers from the terminal building to the aircraft parked away from the terminal building as ramp buses at the airport. KIX is the first Japanese airport to introduce electric ramp buses. This was made possible when Nankai Bus installed charging stations for electric buses at the airport.

Nankai Bus and Kansai Airports have jointly worked on initiatives to realize a decarbonized society and to enhance efficiency of airport transportation by proactively introducing advanced vehicles at the airport, such as fuel-cell buses and articulated buses. Nankai Bus has solar power generation facilities at its airport office, and part of the electricity generated will be used to charge these electric buses. By utilizing renewable energy, these buses contribute to the decarbonization of the entire airport. A lot of facilities were developed for the Kansai-Osaka Expo, and the Expo triggered the expansion of philosophies and initiatives, and a lot of attention is expected as they will be kept as Expo legacy for the future society.

This new bus service is part of the broader initiative, and we hope that this will be a valuable step forward to realizing a sustainable future.