Our cargo apron 9 with taxiway N2 and runway 07L/25R are ready for the future after, respectively, two years and 41 days of renovation work.
Apron 9 and N2: a colossal renovation
For the renovation of apron 9 and taxiway N2, a total of 130,000m² of concrete (about the size of 20 soccer pitches) had to be demolished. The 96,000m² for the aircraft stands were given a new concrete pavement no less than 40 cm thick. The 34,000 m² of taxiway were rebuilt in asphalt.
A new drainage system was installed to separate the drainage of the apron from that of the taxiway. The water from the aircraft stands can now be drained directly to the water treatment plant. New service drives were built, both airside and landside, with a new airside fence. The apron was also provided with a new high-voltage cabin and equipped with 'apron flood lighting'.
Ready for the future
For the renovation of apron 9, optimum use was made of the available surface area. When designing the new layout, the expected mix between full freighter traffic and express cargo transport was taken into account. Sufficient room for manoeuvre was provided and the apron was equipped with the necessary facilities to ensure smooth and safe operations.
All renovated stands were equipped with 400Hz connection points and an aircraft docking guidance system. Moreover, the environment is also better off: now that the stands are equipped with 400Hz connections, the aircraft no longer have to use their built-in auxiliary power unit (APU) or mobile diesel generators (GPU), which results in a significant reduction in noise and emissions.
Almost completed on schedule
With the completion of the final stage, the thorough renovation of apron 9 and taxiway N2 is finalised. Incidentally, the work was completed almost entirely on schedule. And this despite the bomb found in 2018 and the corona outbreak with its strict precautionary measures.
Today, apron 9 meets the highest standards in the industry, which fits in perfectly with our operational excellence story. And the platform is good for another four decades of service!
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A shiny new runway 07L/25R!
With a length of 3,638 meters, runway 07L/25R is Brussels Airport’s principal runway. The previous thorough renovation of this runway dates back to 1996. After 24 years, a complete overhaul of the runway was required to guarantee the safety of aircraft landing or taking off from it.
The asphalt, the drainage system and the runway lights were replaced in record time: work started on the 13th of July and was completed at 6 am on the 23rd of August! Our colleagues and contractors worked 24/7, often in a sweltering heat, to get the job done. A few figures? Over 100,000 hours of work performed in 6 weeks’ time by an average of 400 persons a day. In total, about 1000 people have worked on this project.
To everyone who helped to realise these works: well done and big thank you!