Thanks to good weather Work at Euroairport Basel is almost complete

Thanks to the good weather, the renovation work at Euroairport Basel is almost complete. The new surface on the main runway should now last around 30 years.

Keystone-SDA

29.04.2026, 19:33

29.04.2026, 19:45

SDA

Thanks to good weather, the renovation work at Basel Airport is almost complete. Around 16,000 cubic meters of concrete were used to renovate the main runway, as was reported during a tour of the construction site on Wednesday.

The main runway is being concreted because concrete is more resistant than asphalt, as Euroairport spokeswoman Manuela Witzig explained. However, it dries more slowly than asphalt, which is why the decision was made to close the runway completely and not to work at night. According to Witzig, the renovation would otherwise have taken seven years. The new surface should now last around 30 years.

On Wednesday, the major concrete work had already been completed, it was reported. At peak times, up to 1,000 workers with 400 machines were at work every day, explained site manager Marc Morlet. The large construction machines had left the site in the morning.

In addition to the main runway, the Bravo taxiway is also being renovated. This is the long taxiway that runs parallel to the main runway from the terminal building. As it does not have to absorb the shocks of landings, it will be asphalted. According to Morlet, 40,000 tons of asphalt were used.

Euroairport is investing 40 million euros in the renovation, as Witzig stated. The construction site and the experience of standing on the runway are something very special. However, the airport is naturally looking forward to flying again. The runway is due to open on May 20.

Monopoly above the cloudsPlus 1680 percent - Easyjet lets prices in Basel explode

Flights diverted

During the work, the greatly reduced traffic at the airport will be handled via the secondary runway running from west to east. However, there are a number of restrictions on this runway, as Witzig explained in an interview with the Keystone-SDA news agency.

On the one hand, the runway cannot be approached in poor visibility because it is not equipped with the instrument landing system. On the other hand, and this has become clear in recent days with numerous diverted and canceled flights, the restrictions are stricter in windy conditions.

The shorter runway can only be used for take-offs and landings from the west. If the wind is blowing from the west, i.e. a tailwind for the aircraft, there is a risk of a stall in the worst case scenario. The airlines would issue safety rules themselves and ultimately let the pilots decide.