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| Svalbard, Norway |
Background:
Svalbard is a cluster of Norwegian islands sitting in the Arctic Ocean. While there's airports within the archipelago, of which are used chiefly to move miners, Svalbard Airport is open to commercial travel, making it the world's northernmost airport that tourists can book tickets to.
Why It is Distinctive:
Engineers used the region's brutally cold climate to their favor in the coursework of construction & built the runway on a layer of permafrost. The airport was done in 1975, but slight seasonal changes caused sections of the runway to become uneven, forcing the necessity to repave the runway on several occasions. A project was launched in 1989 aimed at insulating troublesome sections of the runway from the ground, which proved comparatively successful. However, a 2002 study indicates that rising temperatures in the area may increase the necessity & frequency of maintenance efforts & repaving.
