The resurfacing of the runway at Tingwall airport is now complete, with inter-island flights resuming earlier this week.
Work began in early May to resurface the runway, which was largely completed on schedule in around four weeks by the Council’s Roads Service, aided by good weather during the period. The work saw over 3,300 tonnes asphalt laid along the 805 metre length of the runway, with over 2,700 tonnes of crushed aggregate material also laid around the runway perimeter.
A change to wetter weather in early June meant some delays to the final lining and marking of the runway, which was recently completed too. During the work, flight operations temporarily moved to Sumburgh Airport – these have now resumed at Tingwall in recent days.
The resurfacing was needed to improve the condition of the runway, which has deteriorated in recent years, needing increasing maintenance. The next phase of work, planned for next year, will see upgrades to the runway lighting and resurfacing of the runway apron. The total cost of works is estimated to be around £1.3M.
Tingwall Airport first opened in 1976 and is owned by Shetland Islands Council, who are licenced by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to operate the airport. Inter-island air services to Foula and Fair Isle are operated by AirTask Group Ltd under contract to Shetland's Regional Transport Partnership, ZetTrans.
Moraig Lyall, Chair of the Council’s Environment and Transport Committee said: “Resurfacing the entire runway has been a major project and I’d like to thank passengers for their patience in recent weeks while this work has taken place. It's great to see this job completed. It is a significant investment in the future of the airport that provides vital flight links for our island communities.”
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