The runways, taxiways and apron areas at Zurich Airport are subject to heavy use. This results in wear and tear on the surface areas that has to be rectified by means of construction and maintenance work. In order not to overly disrupt flight operations, certain tasks have to be carried out at night. 

Runway 16/34 surface replacement 

The centerline of runway 16/34 will have to be replaced after 15 years of use. The four-centimeter-thick surface will be removed and replaced over a length of 2,000 meters. The night work will take place during four weeks in May and June. 

EMAS refurbishment 

At the end of runway 28, there is a 170-metre-long braking system, the so-called Engineered Materials Arresting System, or EMAS for short. This is a safety component that brakes aircrafts in the event of overruns (overshooting the runway). The EMAS consists of foam glass ballast and a top layer of special mortar, which collapses when an aircraft rolls over it.  Due to its condition, the protective layer of the special mortar has to be replaced over the entire surface. The repair work will take place during night from June to September 2024. 

«Zone West» 

New parking and handling areas are currently being built in the west of the airport. After a break due to the pandemic construction work was resumed in January 2023 and is expected to continue until October 2024. This construction work will take place during the day. The new aircraft stands are set to become operational in November 2024. 

General maintenance work 

Maintenance work is also being carried out on the entire airport site. Only those maintenance tasks that involve critical spots and that would have a disproportionate impact on flight operations will be performed at night. Flughafen Zürich AG endeavours to minimise noise and environmental impact for all work carried out.