A renowned airport that set a record now faces the concerning prospect of sinking beneath the ocean in the next century. Kansai International Airport, situated on a man-made island in Japan’s Osaka Bay and costing a staggering £15 billion, is at risk due to the soft clay seabed it was built on. Originally expected to sink around 13 feet over 50 years after opening in 1994, the airport has already subsided by a drastic 42 feet.
Despite this alarming revelation, the airport remains busy, managing a significant amount of air traffic with over 169,000 take-offs and landings and 25.9 million passengers in 2024. The unexpected subsidence levels have surprised engineers, who had estimated the sinking rate based on soil conditions during construction.
Efforts to counteract the sinking include the installation of sand drains, but the airport continues to sink faster than predicted. Additional funding of £112 million was allocated to strengthen the seawall surrounding the airport, slowing down the subsidence rate. Projections suggest that if the sinking trend persists, the airport could dip below sea level by 2056, making it vulnerable to storms and seismic events.
Despite these challenges, Kansai International Airport has also gained recognition for its exceptional track record of not losing a single piece of luggage in 30 years of operation. This achievement has earned the airport prestigious awards, including the title of ‘World’s Best Airport for Baggage Delivery’ at the Skytrax World Airport Awards.