SEOUL: South Korea's Land Ministry announced on Tuesday that the country's first "floating airport" will be built in the southern port city of Busan by 2035.
According to media reports, the National Assembly approved a bill last year for a mega-state project worth 13.7 trillion won (USD 10.97 billion) to build a new airport on Gadeok Island, Busan's largest island, to handle rising air traffic demand and facilitate prosperity in the country's southeast region.
The new facility would be an offshore airport built on a floating structure at sea, according to the Ministry's comprehensive design released on Tuesday. Following an environmental survey, it plans to start designing a detailed building plan this year.
The building is anticipated to begin in 2025, with the new airport opening in June 2035 if everything goes according to plan. According to the Ministry, the proposed airport will handle 23.36 million people and 286,000 tonnes of cargo in 2065, according to a study.
However, the project's long-running issues may continue, as detractors claim the new facility is not economically viable and would have a harmful impact on the region's ecosystem.
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