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

Václav Havel Airport Prague (PRG) announced on 5 March 2026 that it will shut its main runway 06/24 from 30 March to 14 August 2026 to complete the second—and most disruptive—phase of a CZK 1 billion modernisation programme. During the 4.5-month closure, all arrivals and departures will use the shorter, non-parallel runway 12/30, altering flight paths over several districts of the Czech capital and the Central Bohemian Region. The works include replacing 565 LED guidance lights, laying 160 km of new cabling, expanding taxiway intersections and installing a new Instrument Landing System for Runway 24. Prague Airport’s own projects are being bundled with three external infrastructure upgrades: replacement of a high-pressure gas pipeline by Pražská plynárenská, intersection widening by the Road and Motorway Directorate, and ILS calibration by Air Navigation Services. Concentrating the construction into one extended shutdown is expected to reduce future maintenance closures by at least two years. For business travellers and cargo operators, the diversion to Runway 12/30 will lengthen taxi times and may constrain slot availability during peak hours. PRG has warned airlines that temporary weight-restrictions will apply on hot summer afternoons, potentially requiring long-haul flights to adopt technical stops for refuelling. Travel-management companies are advising corporate clients to book early-morning or late-evening departures where possible and to build extra transit time into onward rail connections. Noise-abatement procedures will be reversed, with arrivals from the east (over Prague 6) and departures to the west (toward Kladno), prompting the airport to allocate a compensation fund for affected municipalities. The closure coincides with the Entry/Exit System (EES) soft-launch at Schengen airports, meaning third-country travellers unfamiliar with self-service kiosks should plan for longer dwell times at border control. Czech Immigration Police have pledged to open extra counters but urge passengers to complete EES pre-enrolment online.



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Cargo operators, meanwhile, welcome the improvements; DHL and UPS told local media that upgraded taxiway crossings will cut turnaround times by 12 %. Prague Airport says no similar long-duration closure is planned for 2027 thanks to the rehabilitation now under way. Longer-term, the operator is pursuing zoning approval for a parallel runway that would allow maintenance without overflying the city centre. Until then, the 2026 project represents the last major disruption, making this summer a critical test of contingency planning for airlines, logistics providers and travel-reliant businesses across Czechia.