Runway: Lux Airport has been struggling with asphalt problems for a year and a half

Last August 28, a damaged asphalt surface on the runway at Luxembourg airport caused flight disruptions and delays. “As was confirmed on the same day, there was no extraordinary mechanical stress on the runway, such as could have been caused by an accident or a particularly hard landing,” explains Mobility Minister Yuriko Backes (DP) in a response to a statement on Tuesday parliamentary question. LSAP MPs Yves Cruchten and Mars Di Bartolomeo had asked about the exact causes of the deterioration of the recently renovated runway surface.

The CEO of Lux-Airport, Alexander Flassak, had ruled out any mechanical defects. But as it turned out after three meetings with the management of Lux-Airport, “irregularities have been occurring in the top layer of asphalt for over a year and a half,” the minister announced. After two years of construction, the renovation of the runway at Findel was completed at the end of 2022. In the meantime, various repairs and preventive maintenance measures have already been carried out. However, the ongoing analyzes have not yet provided any tangible results. “I asked for a final statement by the end of the year at the latest,” said Yuriko Backes.

Since the runway is considered a “particularly stressed critical infrastructure” with a lifespan of 30 years, it is continuously monitored. “Seven inspections are carried out every day, which means the damage was quickly identified,” said the minister. The top layer of asphalt must be renewed approximately every five years.

According to the airport operator’s announcement on its website, work on the runway is now scheduled to begin at the beginning of November and will last approximately three weeks. They should only be carried out at night and should not affect scheduled air traffic. “The work includes partial renewal of the top layer of asphalt” and is a preventative safety measure following the damage in August, according to Lux Airport.