Armidale Airport in northern NSW has been closed until Sunday after the airport’s operators discovered “significant water issues” with the runway pavement.
Armidale Regional Council said the runway was destabilised during planned maintenance works, which had made it unsafe for planes to operate.
All flights in and out of Armidale have been cancelled, leaving some ticketholders scrambling to change their plans.
“Repetitive plant movement during scheduled maintenance work that is currently underway has caused underground water to destabilise the runway pavement, making it unsafe for planes to operate,” the council said.
“The council is doing all it can and is directing all available resources and materials to the airport to address the issue.”
The council said they would install subsoil drainage and rebuild the subsoil areas of the affected pavement.
“Unfortunately, all investigations prior to the commencement of the scheduled maintenance activity did not detect the issues that resulted in the pavement failure,” it said.
“The work to address the pavement repair will also involve dealing with significant underground water issues and will now align with the scheduled maintenance work already underway.”
Storms across NSW this week also factored into the decision to close the airport.
Busses between Armidale and Tamworth have been scheduled today for passengers who had their flights moved to the nearby regional city.
