Airfield upgrades may cause airport delays

The L.F. Wade International Airport is currently undergoing extensive airfield upgrades that involve the addition of high visibility and energy-efficient runway center-line lighting; improved signage; and in partnership with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) – the installation of an enhanced radar surveillance system that will extend Bermuda’s radar coverage from 360 miles to 440 miles.  This increased coverage will help FAA New York-based Air Traffic Controllers enhance their management of air traffic out over the busy North Atlantic.

While most of these improvements will be carried out at night, the on-going work required to install the new radar unit will be taking place throughout the day.

After departing from the gate, passengers may experience a delay on the ground prior to take-off as standard, non-radar procedures that call for a greater-than-usual time separation between arriving and departing flights is in effect.  It is hoped that these delays can be minimized so that this time can be made up in-flight to ensure an on-time arrival to one’s destination whenever possible.

Work on the new radar installation which has already commenced, is expected to be completed by mid-July.  Work on the runway will take place during night time hours and will run throughout the summer.  To facilitate the runway phase of the Airfield Enhancement project, the Airport will close nightly at 10:00 pm and reopen at 6:30 am daily. 

An Airport Operations spokesperson said: “On behalf of the FAA and the L.F. Wade International Airport, we apologize for this inconvenience and thank you for your patience as we work to ensure the safety of the traveling public by continuing the enhancement of our airfield infrastructure.”

Please contact Airport Operations at 293-2470 for additional information or visit our website at www.bermudaairport.com