Japan's $20B Kansai Airport in Osaka is a floating airport and it's sinking at an alarming rate. (www.aerotime.aero)

submitted 1 month ago by InevitableSwing@hexbear.net to c/urbanism@hexbear.net

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When Japan’s Kansai International Airport (KIX) opened in 1994, it was considered an engineering marvel. It is one of the world’s floating airports and cost roughly $20 billion to construct.

30 years on, it remains an important hub in Japan. In 2022, Statista named KIX the third busiest airport in the country, after Narita International Airport (NRT) and Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND). The airport serves as a hub for major airlines including All Nippon Airways, Japan Airlines, Nippon Cargo Airlines and even Japan’s low-cost airline, Peach.

However, some experts believe that KIX airport may be completely submerged by 2056. To get to the bottom of this, it’s necessary to know the airport’s background.

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[-] Acute_Engles@hexbear.net 29 points 1 month ago

It should make up its mind is it a floating airport or a sinking airport

[-] FumpyAer@hexbear.net 13 points 1 month ago

Is 50 years of airport use not a good return on a $20 billion investment?

[-] InevitableSwing@hexbear.net 11 points 1 month ago

They should have paid heed to a lyric in the 1977 song "Godzilla" by BOC...

Nature points out the folly of man.

[-] TheKanzler@hexbear.net 11 points 1 month ago

osaka-oh-my-gah

[-] Acute_Engles@hexbear.net 9 points 1 month ago

It should make up its mind is it a floating airport or a sinking airport

[-] kleeon@hexbear.net 8 points 1 month ago

It should make up its mind is it a floating airport or a sinking airport

[-] iridaniotter@hexbear.net 7 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

retvrn to flying boat

[-] Thordros@hexbear.net 5 points 1 month ago

It should make up its mind is it a floating airport or a sinking airport

[-] wtypstanaccount04@hexbear.net 4 points 1 month ago

[-] wtypstanaccount04@hexbear.net 3 points 1 month ago

Even though it's sinking, it's still better designed than Narita. They didn't have to evict a bunch of poor farmers to build this airport, and the regional train services are better too.