With the opening of the new Kobe airport Thursday, air carriers are set to wage a battle against railways, especially for business travelers, between Tokyo and Kobe.

The new airport, the third in the Kansai region after Itami and Kansai International, is on a man-made island off Kobe, easily accessible from the center of the city -- as fast as 16 minutes by Kobe Portliner trains.

Startup carrier Skymark Airlines Co., which is banking on the new airport, shocked the industry when it announced a regular low fare of 10,000 yen one way, including airport facility fees, between Tokyo's Haneda and Kobe.