Bigger planes one step closer to being able to land in Wellington

Work has started on Wellington Airport’s new runway safety zones which will eventually allow for larger planes to land, creating new opportunities for international routes. The engineered materials arresting system (EMAS) uses energy-absorbing blocks to provide an additional safety measure at each end of the airport runway. Similar to a gravel trap on a motorway, these energy absorbing blocks are designed to crush under the weight of an aircraft, slowing it to a stop. The first phase of the project is to prepare the runway for installation. This will involve cutting through sections of the current runway to shift lighting and preparing to realign some of the runway entry and exit points. The second phase of the project is the physical installation of the EMAS blocks which will begin later this year. The entire project is due to be completed by the end of the year. Wellington Airport’s CE Matt Clarke said the project is a great example of innovation and collaboration in action. “EMAS has been installed at 86 airports around the world but mostly added as additional space at the end of runways.” Wellington Airport will be the second airport in Australasia to install EMAS, following Queenstown Airport which completed works last month.<br/>