Spanish airport closure

Santiago–Rosalía de Castro airport in northwest Spain shut to all air traffic on Thursday, April 23, and will not reopen until Wednesday, May 27. (aena.es) Aena, Spain’s airport operator, said the closure lasts 35 days and covers the most complex phase of a deep runway pavement overhaul. During that period, no takeoffs or landings will take place at the airport. (aena.es) The work is part of a broader renovation that began on January 13, 2026. Aena said the contract, awarded for €26.613 million, also includes new runway lighting, drainage work, grading in safety areas, and upgrades to the airport’s instrument landing system. (aena.es) That matters because Santiago is Galicia’s main air gateway and handled 3,120,759 users in 2025, including 3,107,587 commercial passengers. Aena’s airport homepage now carries a notice that the airport will remain closed from April 23 to May 27 for runway renewal works. (aena.es, aena.es) Aena said it scheduled the full shutdown in late April and May to avoid the airport’s peak passenger season and to work in more favorable weather conditions. The operator said airlines had already reworked schedules and shifted part of Santiago’s routes to A Coruña and Vigo. (aena.es) The scale of the job helps explain the disruption. Aena said crews will lay about 73,000 tonnes of asphalt, repaint 13,600 square meters of runway markings, install about 900 LED airfield lights, and lay more than 100 kilometers of cable. (aena.es) The shutdown was planned well in advance. Aena said in February 2025 that most of the runway project would be done at night over 24 weeks, but that a 35-day full closure in spring 2026 would still be needed for the deepest pavement work. (forbes.es) For travelers, the immediate change is simple: flights to Santiago are canceled or moved, while the terminal’s public area and parking remain open during the runway closure. The airport’s reopening date is May 27, when air traffic is scheduled to resume after the five-week stoppage. (aena.es)