An incident in early December has left Zurich Airport’s soundproofed hangar out of action and in need of substantial refurbishment.
During an engine run-up test in the hangar, insulation material detached from the interior walls. An analysis into the cause is under way and refurbishment plans are being made so that the hangar can resume operations as soon as possible.
Refurbishment of the hangar will take several months, as a large amount of the noise-absorbing material was destroyed, the airport confirmed. Based on the findings of the engineers' investigation, any defective parts will be rebuilt and installed.
During the refurbishment, engine run-up testing will be conducted outdoors. Operator Flughafen Zürich will do its best, it said, to ensure that the planned tests take place during the day. In exceptional cases, unplanned tests will have to be conducted at night.
The sound proofed hangar at Zurich Airport was built in 2014. There are only a few of its type in the world. It protects neighbouring communities from noise emission caused by engine run-up testing.
