6 December 2006
Oxford Airport has confirmed that it is to be expanding its runway and upgrading other facilities in the coming months.
The plans involve widening the 5,095 ft main runway to 30m, as well as installing a Cat 1 ILS and adding approach lighting to the north of the airfield.
The upgrade will, however, involve some disruption during the first half of next year. The plan is that the main runway (01/19) will be closed from 2000 hrs Thursday evening to 0730 Tuesday morning most weeks (the other runways will remain open the whole time).
As well as the runway, the airport will be enhancing its fire cover and will consider raising its customs and immigration status to ‘Customs Designated’.
‘These improvements will have a direct benefit for business aviation operations in particular, both private and public transport, but will now allow for the operation of common regional turboprop types, either on scheduled or ad-hoc chartered routes,’ says the airport. ‘The ILS will also permit much safer approaches whilst being of great benefit to Oxford’s significant pilot training operations. This multimillion pound investment is the single largest infrastructure project on the airfield since the Second World War.’
