London Gatwick Airport (LGW), which is part of VINCI Airports’ network, has finished the main runway resurfacing works.
VINCI said that the works were completed within half the time and budget. In addition, the amount of asphalt used in the project was 70% lesser than traditional resurfacing methods.
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The runway was resurfaced using a new approach with only 40,000t of asphalt, which is 100,000t less than normally used when resurfacing the airport’s main runway.
Under the new approach, only the most ‘trafficked’ parts of its main runway were resurfaced, which is mainly used by the aircraft during landing and exit.
The other sections were said to still have seven to ten years of expected life.
The lower amount of asphalt resulted in saving embodied carbon – which is the Green House Gas (GHG) emissions linked to materials and construction across the life-cycle of the infrastructure.
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By GlobalDataOriginally, the resurfacing works were planned for 2020 but were suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
London Gatwick Airport Capital Delivery director Alasdair Scobie said: “The pandemic gave us the time and reason to rethink our original design.
“We think we have achieved the best balance possible between cost, operational constraints, and durability whilst reducing the environmental impact of construction. The cost savings can now also be reinvested in improvements across other parts of the airport.”
Last month, VINCI Airports subsidiary VINCI Concessions’ secured a 40-year concession to operate Faa’a International Airport (PPT) in French Polynesia.
VINCI Airports will have a 51% interest in the new concession company, with the remainder owned by French Polynesia.
