The works on Runway 26 are over – what does it mean to us?

On June 1st the Israel Airport Authority (IAA) announced that works on runway 26-08 are now complete and that runway 26 has been reopened – three months earlier than the schedule. This is a success of the prize-reward contract system that the IAA devised with the contract in order to minimize the length of time that Ben Gurion Airport will operate on a one runway system.

Runway 30 on which the planes over Modiin land on is due next for works. The IAA has decided to keep runway 30 open together with runway 26 until June 15th, and then to close runway 30 down until August 1st. Runway 30 will be used together with runway 26 during the month of August, which is the peak of the tourist season. On September 1st 2011 runway 30 will close down for works, and it is planned to reopen on September 1st 2013.

This means that the intensive period of  use of the landing path over Modiin is essentially behind us. Until June 15th and during the month of August we will still experience flights over Modiin, mainly when there are western winds over 10 knots. Since during the summer there are rarely western winds during the night, this summer we are likely to have few aircraft noise disturbances during the night. Ultimately it all depends on the decisions made by the IAA Air Traffic Control in routing incoming aircraft.

On September 1st 2011 flights will cease over Modiin until the completion of the works on runway 30, which are due for September 2013.

The main question that remains to be decided by the Supreme Court this coming Monday is whether there any limitations will be placed on the use of the landing path over Modiin in the future, and whether the TAMA plan of Ben Gurion Airport needs to be updated due to the new landing path over Modiin. The aviation authorities made it abundantly clear that the landing path over Modiin is a permanent landing path and an important part of their toolbox for running Ben Gurion Airport.

Clear Skies will post an update after the Supreme Court decision is announced.

For more details see the post on the Clear Skies Hebrew website.