Why the world’s best airport for luggage handling is sinking into the sea
The airport that could fall below sea level by 2056
- Kansai International Airport, built on manmade islands in Japan's Osaka Bay, once celebrated as a marvel of engineering, is experiencing significant subsidence problems, having sunk over 42 feet since its 1994 opening, far exceeding initial predictions.
- The airport's ongoing sinking is primarily attributed to its construction atop a seabed composed of soft alluvial clay, which compresses under the immense weight of the artificial islands.
- Engineers have implemented extensive and costly measures, including sand drains and reinforced seawalls, successfully reducing the subsidence rate from 19 inches annually in 1994 to 2.3 inches in 2023.
- Despite these mitigation efforts, experts warn that parts of the airport could fall below sea level by 2056 if the current rate of sinking continues.
- The airport also faces additional risks from climate change and storm surges, as evidenced by Typhoon Jebi in 2018, which caused significant flooding and a two-week shutdown.