Kansai International Airport in Japan goes under water: what is happening

Kansai International Airport in Japan, which has a very unusual location: in the middle of the sea, is facing unexpected problems. An artificial island was built specifically for the airport in the center of Osaka Bay off the coast of Honshu in the Greater Osaka area.

It cost $20 billion to build, and 25 million passengers travel through it every year. The airport operates domestic and international flights, according to the India Times.

But this air harbor has one problem: the artificial island is slowly but surely sinking. Therefore, it is possible that the airport will disappear completely in the next few years.

It has been 30 years since its opening, and during this time it has already sunk by more than 11 meters. According to experts, this is 25% more than engineers had predicted.

Experts explain that this is due to the fact that the weight of the island and buildings compresses the silt of the seabed on which they are built. This means that the island is slowly but surely sinking.

Although there are plans to invest another $150 million to raise the causeway to protect the terminals, the island is expected to sink another 4 meters by 2056.

According to officials involved in the project, the new airport helps reduce the overcrowding problem at Osaka International Airport.

Some experts say it is still 100 years away from completely disappearing, while others say it could happen in the next 25 years.