Newcastle Airport set to start work on £17 million runway project

Newcastle Airport is set to start work on a major £17 million scheme to resurface its runway.

The project will take place at night with no planned disruption to the flight schedule.

The resurfacing works are scheduled to begin on November 4 and are expected to continue until March 2025.

Over the course of the project, 32,750 tonnes of new materials will be laid over an area the size of 22 football pitches.

A total of 1,267 runway lights will also be replaced with energy-efficient LEDs, reducing the Airport’s carbon emissions by 87 tonnes per year – the equivalent to taking around 19 cars off the road annually.

A team of up to 120 people will carry out the work between 11pm and 6am five nights a week, from Sunday to Thursday, with a two-week break over the Christmas period.

Nick Jones, Newcastle Airport chief executive, said: “The £17 million project to resurface the runway will mark a significant milestone in the Airport’s history.

“This investment will not only extend the overall lifespan of the runway and ensure we continue to provide vital connectivity for the North East region, but it will also support the airport’s future growth and our long-term sustainability goals.

“The project has been carefully planned and we have worked closely with our airlines, local councils and business partners to ensure the airport will continue to operate as normal.”

Leading the project is construction company Tarmac.

Chris Wright, Tarmac contracting director, said: “Having worked in partnership with the airport’s teams for many years we recognise the importance of this significant investment programme and are fully committed to working collaboratively to achieve the programme’s goals.

“Much attention has been placed on the detailed work schedule designed to optimise the efficiency of the delivery programme.”