Prague Airport to Close Main Runway 06/24 for 4½-Month Overhaul, Diverting All Flights to Secondary Runway

Václav Havel Airport Prague has confirmed that the second phase of a major reconstruction of its main runway 06/24 will begin on 30 March 2026 and last approximately four and a half months. During this period every arrival and departure—including long-haul wide-body services—will be diverted to the shorter, less-equipped runway 12/30. The works will affect the height of the summer peak, running through 14 August, and are timed for months with statistically lower fog in order to compensate for the secondary runway’s lack of CAT III instrument-landing capability.

Airport spokesperson Eva Krejčí said the closure is required to finish a multi-year modernisation that started in 2025. Contractors will rebuild several taxiway intersections, install new LED ground-lighting, upgrade underground cabling, replace sections of perimeter fencing and carry out routine surface maintenance such as rubber removal and repainting of markings. The €62 million project is co-financed by the Czech Air Navigation Services provider and the Ministry of Transport.



Operationally, the shift to runway 12/30 means that flight paths will take aircraft over densely populated districts of Prague and parts of Central Bohemia. Airlines have been instructed to load extra contingency fuel in case low-visibility procedures require holding or diversion to Brno or Dresden. The airport has reiterated that the secondary runway will be used only for the absolutely necessary window and that no comparable full closure is planned for 2027, when a long-planned parallel runway is expected to enter the permitting stage.

For business travellers the implications are two-fold. First, slots will be scarcer during peak morning and evening banks, and carriers such as Emirates and Delta have already issued schedule changes with slightly earlier departures. Second, noise-abatement procedures may create short tactical delays, so connecting passengers should avoid tight lay-overs. Ground-handling agents report that corporate shuttles to the city centre may also experience heavier road traffic as communities raise concerns about increased aircraft noise.

Companies with mobility programmes should advise travellers to monitor airline notifications closely, allow extra transfer time, and maintain flexibility for meetings scheduled in Prague between April and August. Employers relocating staff this summer should consider temporary accommodation west of the city, where flight noise will be lower, and confirm with relocation providers that household-goods movers have the correct permits for altered airport service roads.