It’s been an exciting week for aviation enthusiasts. First, rumours were revived that Concorde could be making a return to the UK. Then Newcastle airport began work on a huge expansion project, and now Edinburgh has made a big announcement. The capital city’s airport – which is the biggest in Scotland – is putting £30 million into upgrading its runway.
Edinburgh’s runway has caused it a bit of trouble recently. The Scotsman reported last August that unaddressed surfacing issues caused 16 unplanned closures to the airport between 2023 and 2024, disrupting passenger journeys. The airport told the newspaper that its runway was ‘approaching the end of its life’, and one year later it’s finally ready to begin fixing the problem.
The runway will be closed overnight for five months beginning in two weeks time as the resurfacing is completed. From November 2 until late March, it will be out of operation between the hours of 1.45pm and 5.45am every day except Fridays and Saturdays. The busy festive period, from December 18 to January 4, will also be an exception.
The project will cost £30 million all in, and will be the first time the Edinburgh runway has received proper TLC in nearly two decades. It will also provide work for 150 people.
Any flights due to arrive after 1.45am will either be diverted or cancelled altogether, so there could be some disruption to long-haul arrivals during the five month night-time closure. Chief communications officer at Edinburgh airport, Gordon Robertson, said that airlines are aware there will be ‘no leeway’ for latecomers: ‘If they are very late, they’re either not flying or going to Glasgow’.
Although you may not be able to immediately tell the difference, once the work is complete there should be fewer delays or disruptions at Edinburgh, making journeys to and from the airport smoother. Gordon Dewar, the interim COO, said that the runway is ‘our number one asset’ and ‘a critical piece of infrastructure’.
He continued; ‘This investment will completely resurface the runway, install new technology, and future proof the asset ahead of planned continued growth.
‘It’s a significant investment in the airport infrastructure and is part of a record capital plan.’
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