You are aware how quickly the Arctic is changing, aren’t you?
Well, one small airport up near the top of the world is experiencing this change, and honestly, its kinda wild.
Now say hello to Svalbard Airport, located in Norway’s frozen Svalbard archipelago.
This place is not only extremely cold—It also holds the title of the northernmost commercial airport across the earth. SAS and Norwegian Airlines operate flights from Longyearbyen, which is the main settlement there, to the mainland Norway about 800 kilometers away.
They also receive private jets and special charters, who drop in unannounced!
Shoutout to all the adventurers out there
Recently, we have busting through the Arctic when land of thrill seeking emerged, this region is receiving attention like never before.
Svalbard, Lapland, and Alaska are attracting visitors and setting record, the tru travelers seeking “end of the world” oh you know vibe.
No reserve date yet, but OceanSky cruises is currently working on luxury airship cruises to the North Pole.
Now back to that melting runway…
Back in the early 70s, no one gave a thought to the frozen ground under Svalbard Airport’s 2300-meter-long runway. It was built, and now fast forward to today’s years, the permafrost is thawing out.
Such issues are a major concern.
“Every summer, which is peak seasonal construction and air traffic, we have to inspect the runway every single day,” adds Ragnhild Kommisrud, the airport manager.
Why? Since the ground could prematurely give way at any given moment.
That’s not great when there’s so much aircraft activity, such as planes coming in to land.
Just so you know, permafrost is rock material that stays frozen for at least two years straight.
But now, due to global warming, Svalbard’s permafrost is giving way to a slushy, smoky remnant — worsening things for the runway, houses, buildings, and even landslides.
And that’s the reason why The Airport Is Why There’s a Svalbard Inhabitants
For the roughly 2,500 people residing in Svalbard, this airport is not merely an additional mode of getting around — it’s pivotal.
If the airport stops functioning, all supplies would have to arrive at the location by boat.
That is not speedy Amazon Prime transportation — we are referring to a two-day round trip.
In case of such an emergency, the airport has additional employees and having repair materials on standby.
When the local power plant once broke down, they had to fly in a backup generator on a military cargo plane (a beast called the C-17 Globemaster).
The Coal Conundrum
Here’s the crazy twist:
The Svalbard Islands are home to an incredibly gorgeous and utterly unique place that must be preserved at all costs.
Svalbard is known for its coal mining which is said to be the historical backbone of the economy.
That’s it, no one is going to come in here and resolve the Arctic cold problem while using the outdated methods of fossil fueled power.
Final Thought
While Svalbard might seem remote, there is no escaping the rapidly changing climate and dangerous conditions taking place on a global scale.
With families venturing to see the world’s last remaining frontiers, Svalbard is transforming, one runway at a time, into a strikingly beautiful paradise that puts real challenges in front of the eye handy.
