OSAKA (Kyodo) -- Kobe Airport on Friday began operating international charter flights with the launch of its new terminal building.

Expressing hope that the recently opened World Exposition in the neighboring commercial hub of Osaka will continue to sustain the inbound tourism boom, the president of the facility's operator said at the opening ceremony, "Kobe Airport is expected to revitalize the travel sector in western Japan."

The first flight to arrive at the new facility came from Taipei, and the terminal is set to handle a total of 40 chartered flights per week from Shanghai and Nanjing in China, Seoul in South Korea and Taipei and Taichung in Taiwan.

Kobe Airport has handled domestic flights since the start of its services in 2006. It is aiming to offer regular international flights from around 2030.

The World Exposition in Osaka, which kicked off on Sunday, is scheduled to run until Oct. 13.