The main runway at Prague Václav Havel International Airport (PRG) will close for a maximum period of five days between tomorrow and 11 November. The measure is part of the regular autumn maintenance process at the Czech Republic’s main air station.
According to the airport management, the scheduled closure of runway 06/24 will take place between 08:00 and 16:00 local time and will therefore only affect daytime operations. During that period, air traffic will be redirected to the other operational runway, the 12/30.
The closure schedule was defined on the basis of the geographical location of the airport. Densely populated areas of Prague and Kladno, a town located 25 kilometres from the capital of the country, are affected by the noise impact of aircraft using runway 12/30. For this reason, runway 06/24 will continue to operate at night. The runway in use will be decided, on a procedural basis, by the weather conditions at the time, in particular the surface wind direction.
The scheduled works include the removal of rubber from the runway, expansion joints repairs and the restoration of horizontal markings. This is a regular maintenance carried out after each summer season, when the airport is busier than usual. This type of work is carried out twice a year, always in spring and autumn.
However, the start of the work has not yet been confirmed. Today, 31 October, the airport management informed that, due to adverse weather conditions, runway 06/24 will remain operational as usual.
«The exact date will be set based on the current meteorological conditions to ensure the most efficient use of the time of the main runway closure, this is, no fog, low temperatures, or excessive wind«, explained Miroslav Charvát, Runway Administration and Operational Development Manager at Václav Havel International Airport. «The goal is to get the condition of the surface and the signs in the best possible condition before the winter season«, he added.
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