The project involved removing the existing runway surface and laying around 16,500 tonnes of new asphalt in 125m-long sections overnight. Grooves were then cut into the new layer to increase friction and manage surface water.
Newcastle’s latest runway investment is timely for two reasons. Davis explained that the runway was last resurfaced 15 years ago – the equivalent to its lifespan and was therefore an imperative part of the airport’s operational work.
Newcastle International currently has 80,000 annual movements – more than double the traffic served 15 years ago. “With the industry in a plateau in terms of traffic, now has been an ideal time to do this before our movements increase again,” said Davis.
Before contractors Tarmac began the runway resurfacing works on 15 January, the airport took early measures to prepare aircraft operators for the project – a decision that is likely to have contributed to its completion five weeks ahead of schedule. Davis explained: “The biggest challenge was consulting with the airlines early enough. They were notified in August, ahead of their winter timetable. Regular meetings and communications on a nightly basis ensured they were fully up to speed as to what was happening, which alleviated any confusion. Communication with all the relevant parties was key.”
The project involved removing the existing runway surface and laying around 16,500 tonnes of new asphalt in 125m-long sections overnight. Grooves were then cut into the new layer to increase friction and manage surface water. Just under 1,000 runway lights were also removed and replaced in the project.
Through early engagement, the airport modified the schedule of Monday-Friday works from 23:00 to 23:30, finishing at 05:45am in order to facilitate cargo departures, said Davis.
He highlighted other keys to the success of the project: “We took lessons learnt from the AAIB investigations that came out from the Bristol runway resurfacing and how other airports have carried this out to ensure we approached this in the best way. We were also able to ensure a minimum of 250 metres of ungrooved surface as the project moved from the east to the west of the runway.”
Newcastle International is currently in the process of installing two Cat 3 ILS systems, at a cost of £1 million (€1.2m). “We will be fully Cat 3 compliant on both runways by the end of August,” said Davis.
