Eindhoven Airport in the Netherlands is set to undergo a major renovation of its runway at Eindhoven Air Base, which will result in significant improvements in the future. However, the airport will be closed for five months during the renovation.
The project is scheduled to take place from February to June 2027, with an estimated completion time of 22 weeks. This decision has raised concerns among travel industry leaders, as it could lead to approximately 17,000 flight cancellations and oblige 3 million passengers to travel to other airports in the Netherlands.
Eindhoven Airport is an important airport, with 6.9 million passengers annually, accounting for 10% of air transport in the Netherlands. During the 22-week closure, flights will have to be transferred to other airports, according to a spokesperson for the travel association ANVR.
Although no official start date has been confirmed by the Ministry of Defense, which owns the airport, interested contractors can register for the project’s tender until the end of February. Upcoming plans involve choosing six candidates to complete the tender.
The renovation work will include the complete overhaul of the Air Base’s runway, as well as the installation of new cabling, lighting, and drainage. Additionally, the plan aims to upgrade the airport’s Instrument Landing System (ILS) from Category 1 to Category 3, enabling pilots to make precision landings in low visibility conditions.
The cost of improving the existing Category 1 to Category 3 is estimated to be €10 million. Eindhoven Airport is the second busiest airport in the Netherlands, with record passenger traffic in 2023 exceeding the figures from 2022 and 2019. Last year, the airport registered 41,49 flight movements, reaching its licensed maximum of 41,500. This signifies the airport’s growing popularity and the need for infrastructural improvements to accommodate the increasing number of passengers.
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