Oasis No More? Svalbard and Contested Arctic Strategies

A bust of Roald Amundsen in the centre of the settlement at Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard [Photo by Marc Lanteigne] by Marc Lanteigne Although there remains much conventional wisdom which still considers the Arctic to be only loosely situated within international law, and potentially subject to an inevitable competition over influence and resources, like any other body of… Continue reading Oasis No More? Svalbard and Contested Arctic Strategies

‘Can’t Keep My Mind From the Circling Sky’: The Take-off of Arctic Air Routes 

Air Greenland plane at Nuuk Airport [Photo by Marc Lanteigne] by Marc Lanteigne It was in 1954, after two years of test flights, when Scandinavian Airline Systems (SAS) successfully began a Copenhagen to Los Angeles route over the north polar region (with stops in Kangerlussuaq, Greenland and Winnipeg), using DC6 aircraft. These trips opened up the possibility of shorter transits between… Continue reading ‘Can’t Keep My Mind From the Circling Sky’: The Take-off of Arctic Air Routes