Ireland West Airport has officially opened its new runway following a €11m refurbishment designed and project managed by Atkins, a member of the SNC-Lavalin Group. 

The 2,400m runway, the third longest in the country, handles all flights at Ireland West Airport and is central to the airport’s vision to attract one million passengers per year. 

Atkins provided specialist design and technical services, supporting main contractors Lagan Aviation and Clare Civil Engineering. Speaking at the official opening of the runway on Friday 20 September, the taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, said: “Today’s ceremony marks the successful completion of a truly ambitious project. All of the work was done on time and on budget and I really want to acknowledge the work of the main contractors Lagan Aviation and Clare Civil Engineering, and also project partners Atkins.”

This is the first time in its 34-year history that the runway has had a full overlay, including taxi ways and an upgrade of the instrumentation landing systems. The four-month refurbishment works took place overnight during non-operational hours to minimise disruption and enable the airport to function normally during the day. 

Atkins led the full design and procurement process for the runway upgrade and aeronautical ground lighting following their appointment by Ireland West Airport as specialist consultants in 2017. Atkins also developed the early contractor involvement strategy and acted as project manager for the construction, commissioning and handover of the construction works. 

Justin Norman, managing director of Atkins Ireland, said: “The new runway will help Ireland West Airport continue to grow as a key gateway to the West of Ireland and beyond. It’s successful delivery - on time and to budget - is testament to a truly collaborative project team that worked seamlessly throughout.”