Charleroi Airport (BSCA) is scheduling repairs to fix runway damage in the coming weeks following the holiday season, according to a spokesperson.
For nearly two hours last Saturday, no take-offs or landings took place at the airport due to urgent repair work on the runway.
“The firm responsible for Saturday’s emergency repairs has assured us that the current situation can hold for three months, which provides us with time,” clarified the spokesperson adding, “but of course, we will be continually monitoring the situation.”
Like other airports, Charleroi’s runway undergoes regular scrutiny. A routine check by the Walloon Public Service (SPW) team noticed a sudden worsening of an identified degradation issue, primarily evidenced through cracks.
Credit: Belga
The underlying causes of the problem and reasons for the sudden degradation remain unclear, the spokesperson admitted. “Runway tarmacs are subjected to intense pressures; that’s why they’re continually monitored”, they said.
These types of issues are commonplace in airports worldwide and were more significant on Saturday since Charleroi airport only has one runway.
Saturday’s runway closure led to extensive delays at Charleroi Airport, and several flights had to be diverted to Liege and Lille.
