The runway opened on Friday 30 June following an 8-week renovation and the airport has invested €35.3 million in upgrades as part of a plan to extend the runway’s operational length to 2,750 metres by January 2025.
Sustainability was a key theme of the ceremony with an electric aircraft used to officially open the runway after a speech from RWTH Aachen University professor Dr Guenther Schuh on the future of sustainable aviation.
Jos Roeven, CEO of Maastricht Aachen Airport, says, “Today, we are celebrating the launch of our newly improved runway and looking back over the hard work that has gone into the planning and execution of this project – but we are also looking forward. The decision to inaugurate the runway with an electric plane is symbolic of our commitment to ensure the sustainability of this airport for years to come.”
Cargo operations are returning to Maastricht with Turkish Cargo operating 5 flights a week and Royal Jordanian and Emirates SkyCargo both running 2 a week.
The opening comes after Royal Schiphol Group finalised a deal with Limburg province to take a 40% stake in the airport.