The world’s northernmost commercial airport, popular with tourists seeking snowy landscapes and Arctic adventures, has warned that its runway is melting due to climate change.

The Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard in the Arctic Ocean, loved for its Northern lights and outdoor activities, from dog-sledging to ice cave exploration, could see its main airport at risk as temperatures continue to rapidly rise.

The airport is found in the town of Longyearbyen in Svalbard, which is roughly midway between the mainland and the North Pole.

Two airlines, SAS and Norwegian, offer year-round flights from the airport to Norway’s mainland, as well as charter flights and private jets.

While tourists continue to flock to the region for adventures in the polar wilderness, the airport has been feeling the effects of climate change within its already fragile landscape.

Svalbard Airport’s singular 2,300-metre-long runway was built upon a layer of permafrost in the 1970s, but decades on, this layer has started to melt.

Ragnhild Kommisrud, the airport’s manager, told CNN that during the summer months, they check the runway meticulously every day, as the soil must subside

“This is a challenge that we only expect to get worse with time,” she said.

Global warming is a huge concern to the airport and Svalbard as a whole. “It’s important to clarify that the melting of permafrost in Svalbard is not caused by local emissions or activity alone but is a direct result of global climate change,” she told The Independent.

“The Arctic is warming up to four times faster than the global average, and this has severe implications for infrastructure, ecosystems, and communities in the region.

“What we are witnessing in Svalbard is one of the clearest signals of the accelerating climate crisis worldwide.”

The melting of permafrost has affected structures beyond the airport across Svalbard, with some buildings and infrastructure becoming less stable, with an increased the risk of landslides and avalanches.

While Svalbard’s residential community has been committed to preventing climate change and preserving the natural landscape, until recently, the archipelago’s economy had been largely dominated by coal.

Over the past decade, coal mining operations have been winding down their production and in 2023, Longyearbyen’s coal-fired power station was shut down and replaced with a diesel-powered plant.

While this new plant still has a high carbon footprint, it has been able to cut carbon emissions by nearly half in the area, CNN reports.

Since Svalbard has started to wind back its coal mining operations, tourism has stepped up to be a major economic contributor in the archipelago.

Intrepid travellers who prefer to swap a city break for frozen fjords and adventurous activities travel to Svalbard.

“Svalbard used to be an extreme tourism destination, catering to the most adventurous travellers. It is still pretty niche, but we are becoming more mainstream,” says Ronny Brunvoll, CEO of Visit Svalbard, told CNN.

Despite limitations such as harsh weather and long stints of darkness over winter, the region’s popularity has also meant that overtourism could become a potential threat.

Initiatives are already in place to quell tourist impact. To help preserve Svalbard, authorities introduced an environmental tax in 2007 of NOK 105 (£7.60) to be paid by visitors. In 2025, new cruise regulations were also put in place with passenger caps of 200 in protected areas.

Avinor, Norway’s government-owned airport operator, which operates Svalbard Airport and more than 40 others, has committed to a wider decarbonisation project.

The group said last year that its goal is to reduce its own emissions by 42 per cent in 2030, and is collaborating with the Norwegian aviation sector's goal of being fossil-free by 2050.

One of the ways it is venturing towards this goal is by establishing a biogas plant at the airport.

The biogas plant hopes to come into service in early 2026, subject to the completion of the ongoing governmental approval process.

“Tackling the root causes of permafrost melting requires global action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” Ms Kommisrud added. “What happens in the Arctic is ultimately shaped by emissions from all over the world.”

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