China is now building the country’s first permanent airport in the South Pole which will provide logistical support to scientists and enhance airspace management in Antarctica.
The 35th China’s Antarctic expedition last year had the major task to build the airport which will be completed shortly; the selected site is an ice cap 28 km away from Zhongshan Antarctic Station (WAP CHN-Ø2), surveyed by China’s 33rd Antarctic expedition in 2017. The construction of the planned airport was carried out by China’s 35th Antarctic expedition and now the Country is therefore joining the US, Russia, Britain, Australia and New Zealand among others in having airfields in the Antarctic, which is rich in natural resources such as silver, gold, platinum and coal.
Chinese scientists built a 4 kilometer-long, 50 meters wide runway for fixed-wing aircraft in 2009 during the 25th expedition in the Antarctic. In 2010, an airport called Feiying was constructed on the ice sheet, according to the earlier official Chinese media reports. According to Digital Paper, China’s first permanent airport in Antarctica, will facilitate the nation’s research and expeditions on the Icy continent.