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Construction began in 1987 and it opened in 1994. Kansai Airport is Japan's largest international airport, measuring 4km in length and 2.5km in width, with 42 gates. There are two ways to get to the airport: you can drive at 80km/h on the upper level or take a train on the lower level via a 3500m long bridge leading to the island.
Compared to a country situated on an island surrounded by the sea, the construction of an airport on an island is not unusual. However, what is truly admirable about the Japanese people is that this airport was built on an island they themselves created. The Japanese spent 20 years and 1.5 trillion yen to build the island and Kansai International Airport. Creating a solid foundation capable of supporting the entire structure was a difficult challenge for the designers. Calculations showed that with a depth of 33 meters from the seabed, a water depth of 18 meters, and an estimated daily subsidence of 1 mm, the island would remain 4 meters above sea level even after 30-50 years. To mitigate this subsidence, they drove 1 million steel piles into the soft soil, along with thousands of tons of sand and rock, to create a robust concrete wall.
The structure is designed with a dome-shaped roof, a characteristic feature of offshore buildings. This design aims to reduce wind pressure; the more curved the roof, the less wind pressure is reduced. Furthermore, this shape is the highlight of the entire structure.
The purpose of building the airport in the middle of the island is also to facilitate takeoffs and landings at sea. The airport can operate 24/7 while avoiding noise pollution for the local residents.
Kansai Airport is one of the most modern airports in the world and also boasts the best service and customer care; for the past 20 years, there has never been a single complaint about lost luggage. It is also the landing point for many major airlines from various countries, including Vietnam Airlines.
News: Bao Khuyen
