Wilkins Runway

Wilkins Runway
IATA: none ICAO: YWKS
Summary
Airport type	Private
Operator	Australian Antarctic Division
Serves	Australian Antarctic Territory
Location	Wilkes Land, Antarctica
Elevation AMSL	2,529 ft / 771 m
Coordinates	66°41′27″S 111°31′25″E / 66.69083°S 111.52361°E / -66.69083; 111.52361Coordinates: 66°41′27″S 111°31′25″E / 66.69083°S 111.52361°E / -66.69083; 111.52361
Map
YWKS Location in Antarctica
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 09T/27T 3,200 10,499 Ice
Sources: Australian AIP aerodrome chart

Wilkins Runway is a single runway aerodrome operated by Australia, located on upper glacier of the ice sheet Preston Heath, Budd Coast, Wilkes Land on the continent of Antarctica, but 40 km (25 mi) southeast of the actual coast. It is named after Sir Hubert Wilkins, a pioneer of Antarctic aviation and exploration.

Construction of a runway in the Australian Antarctic Territory was first suggested in the 1950s, but logistical, political and environmental issues meant construction of the runway did not begin until 2004. The A$46 million dollar runway is carved into glacial ice, approximately 65 km (40 mi) from the Australian base at Casey Station.

In order to be approved by Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), Wilkins was required to be levelled to runway standard with the use of lasers, and requires a crew of eight to maintain the level and friction of the runway before each landing.

CASA issued an aviation licence for the airline Skytraders to operate passenger flights, and the first flight was made on 11 January 2008, carrying Australia's Environment Minister Peter Garrett, twelve scientists and six other passengers.

Flights to Antarctica leave from Hobart International Airport in Tasmania using an Airbus A319, and the flight takes around four hours. Prior to the runway's completion, the trip to Antarctica involved a ten-day journey by ship across the Southern Ocean from Hobart. The runway only operates during the Antarctic summer, and twenty to thirty flights per season are planned. The flights are used to transport scientists conducting Antarctic research, and are not available for tourist flights. However, since the opening of the runway no more than 10 flights in one season has been achieved. This is primarily due to environmental conditions at the site, temperatures being warmer and causing melt of the runway, thus decreasing the window of opportunity to use the runway. As of January 2012, only four flights were planned for the summer season and all in February 2012.