From October 3, the Center Runway (25C/07C) at Frankfurt Airport (FRA) will close for a fortnight to enable essential maintenance to take place.
The runway’s 4cm-thick asphalt surface will be replaced during the operation. According to airport operator Fraport, the maintenance is required regularly, about every ten years, due to normal and weather-related wear.
Work on the Center Runway will start on Monday, October 3, at 11:00pm. They are scheduled to end during the night of October 16 to 17 so that aircraft can take off and land on the runway again from around 6:00am on October 17.
Fraport is replacing some 80,000m2 of runway surface. Construction vehicles will move around 13,000 metric tons of asphalt during the maintenance process. This will require about 100 workers in a multi-shift operation.
Simultaneously, Fraport will replace more than 130 halogen lights in the border lighting along the length of the runway with energy-saving, long-lasting LED lights. By using energy-efficient LED lights throughout the airport, Fraport already saves around 5,000 metric tons of CO2 a year. Some 70% of the lighting used in FRA’s runway and taxiway system consists of LED lights. The use of this energy-saving lighting technology – both on the apron and in the terminals and parking garages – is an important element of Fraport’s climate strategy for Frankfurt Airport.
The end of the busy summer season allows Fraport to take the Center Runway out of service for the duration of the maintenance works. Extensive pre-planning has been required to facilitate this, not only by Fraport, but also on the part of airlines, government agencies and the DFS German Air Navigation Services. The parallel South Runway (07R/25L) will remain in operation throughout the construction works, as will FRA’s two other runways: the Northwest Runway (07L/25R) used for aircraft landings, and Runway 18 West for aircraft take-offs.
Fraport has informed the Hessian Ministry of Economics, Energy, Transport and Housing (HMWEVW), as the responsible aviation authority, that the noise respite periods will be suspended for runway direction 25 for the duration of the works. The noise-respite model provides for the Center Runway to be used for aircraft take-offs in the evening hours and for landings in the mornings. Thus, the noise respite periods can be met only when all runways are fully available.
Image: Fraport
