The Australian government wants to build the first concrete runway in the Antarctic. But the major project has met with criticism from environmentalists.

According to the Antarctic Treaty from 1959, no country is allowed to claim the territory around the southern continent - the Antarctic is thus a state-free area. Nevertheless, dozens of nations, including Germany, China, Russia, the USA, Great Britain and Australia, maintain research stations on the continent. In order to further advance this research, the Australian government announced in May 2018 that it would build an asphalt runway near its own Davis research station. Landings would then be possible without restriction. Currently, aircraft equipped with skis can land on a specially prepared ice rink. And that only in the so-called Antarctic summer.

"If approved, the construction of a paved runway at the Davis Research Station would represent a significant performance gain that would revolutionize our scientific activities and strengthen Australia's leadership and long-term interests in the region," said the Australian government about the project read. Access to Antarctica would allow all seasons of the year to see wildlife such as krill, penguins, seals and seabirds throughout their annual life cycle, the reports Editorial network Germany.

According to a scientific paper from the University of Tasmania last year, the area around the station is possibly "the most important ice-free coastal area in Antarctica". "It has unique lakes, fjords, fossils and wildlife," wrote researchers Shaun Brooks and Julia Jabour. It goes on to say: “Weddell seals raise their offspring around 500 meters from the planned runway.” But it is precisely these and many other wild animals that could be disturbed by the dust and the subsequent noise from low-flying aircraft. In addition, more than 115.000 tons of concrete would end up in nature. In the 1980s, a single drop of mail by a low-flying plane resulted in a stampede inside a colony of king penguins, in which 7000 animals were killed. Although the new airport is primarily intended to benefit science, it is scientists who criticize the project the most. One wonders: Do we really need an airport in Antarctica?