Work has begun on a nearly £7m Defence Infrastructure Organisation project to extend the lifespan of the runway at the Mount Pleasant Complex (MPC) airfield in the Falkland Islands
The project includes repainting runway markings in reflective paint, replacing airfield signage and adding lights, and coating the runway asphalt with a layer of bitumen. This protective layer will extend the life of the runway until it can be fully re-laid in the coming years.
The £6.96m project was awarded to Mitie in June 2022 and will be undertaken by sub-contractor Gatwick Construction.
The project team will work at night to add the protective layer to the runway to avoid disruption. Importantly, the team will liaise closely with MPC staff on a daily basis and the work has been carefully planned to ensure there is no impact on airfield operations and flights can continue as scheduled. This is particularly important given that Mount Pleasant Complex is used for the airbridge flights to and from the UK, for LATAM flights connecting the Falkland Islands to South America, as well as by the Falkland Island Government Air Service (FIGAS) which connects MPC with the outlying islands of the Falklands.
DIO Project Manager Robert Handford said:
Brian Talbot, Managing Director, Central Government & Defence, Mitie, said:
The project is expected to take about three months.