Runway 2 at Budapest Airport reopened on Thursday afternoon following extensive renovation and reconstruction work.
Liszt Ferenc International Airport’s runway 2 underwent an eight-week refurbishment project, which included complete renovation and the installation of a new instrument landing system (ILS).
The airport’s operators said the most important element of the 1.3 billion HUF investment was the replacement of the old ILS with the upgraded system. The new ILS CAT IIIB standard means that it will be possible for aircraft to use the airport when visibility is just 15 meters vertically and 50 meters horizontally, even in thick fog, rain, snow and darkness – enhancing aviation safety, and contributing to even better punctuality by airlines.
Radio networks and other repair works were also performed along the nearly 4 kilometer length of the runway. Workers replaced 70 concrete water drainage shafts, replaced the cabling of the lighting fixtures, where necessary, and repaired minor faults in the concrete. Rubber marks burnt onto the concrete were removed and surface markings on the runway, to aid pilots in orientation, were repainted.
“In spite of the changeable weather, which was often stormy and extremely hot at other times, we managed to keep the deadline that we set ourselves, whereby we are reopening runway II in the best quality available today,” said László Eiszrich, the chief technical officer of Budapest Airport.
“Aviation safety is our number one priority; more than 150 aircraft take off and land on the renovated runway per day. I would like to thank our subcontractors for their support, they often worked into the night and during weekends, so that we could complete the project by the original deadline,” he added.
Photo credit: bud.hu