Adelaide Airport runway, taxiways overlay underway!

MEDIA RELEASE
Friday 29 September, 2023

Adelaide Airport will commence re-surfacing of its runways and taxiways as part of essential maintenance works from next Wednesday October 4.

The overlay works, which are required to be carried out every 10 to 12 years, are part of Adelaide Airport’s ongoing maintenance program to provide a safe operating environment for all aircraft. Re-surfacing works are expected to be completed by August 2024.

Adelaide Airport Managing Director, Brenton Cox, said the pavement re-surfacing would require significantly more asphalt than that used to reseal roads around Adelaide.

“This is a significant, logistically complex project. Each night our project team will remove and then re-surface each section of runway or taxiway and be completed in time for the regular 6am aircraft departures the following morning,” Mr Cox said.

“All up the re-surfacing project requires more than 60,000 tonnes of asphalt to cover 413,000 square metres of runway and taxiways. The same amount of asphalt would be enough to reseal a 40km stretch of road between Adelaide and McLaren Vale.

“The airport will also replace about 660 first-generation LED light fittings on our runway and taxiways with more energy efficient LED lighting to help further reduce our carbon footprint.”

Mr Cox said work would mostly be carried out during the airport’s curfew hours between 11pm and 6am to minimise disruption to scheduled services. During these times the cross runway, running south-east to north-west, will be used for the relatively small number of freight and emergency aircraft – on average 10 aircraft per night and up to 15 on a busy night – that are permitted to operate during these hours.

“Adelaide Airport’s curfew limits aircraft movements between 11pm and 6am by restricting the types of aircraft that can operate, the number of flights permitted, and the types of operation allowed,” Mr Cox said.

“We have been notifying neighbouring residents and those under the cross runway flight path prior to the main runway closures so that they are aware there may be increased noise impact. This is essential maintenance but we recognise there will be disruptions to local communities and thank them for their patience and understanding over the coming months.

“We will undertake additional measures to reduce the noise impact, such as limiting delivery of materials to daylight hours and replacing the reverse ‘beeper’ sound on large vehicles.”

Adelaide Airport will regularly update its website to advise of anticipated disruptions to assist customers as much as possible – go to www.adelaideairport.com.au/mrtop

or visit Airservices Australia’s Noise Complaints and Information Service at www.airservicesaustralia.com/community/environment/aircraft-noise/about-making-a-complaint/.

More information on Adelaide Airport’s curfew is available at:
https://www.adelaideairport.com.au/corporate/community/curfew-information/