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Image source, Jamie Niblock/BBC
About 65,000 tonnes in asphalt is being surfaced at the airport in Essex
By Zoie O'Brien and Peter Walker
BBC Look East
A team of more than 200 engineers and technicians are halfway through a five-month project to resurface London Stansted Airport.
Work on the 1.9 mile-long (3km) runway - equivalent to the size of 25 football pitches - has to be timed meticulously overnight while fewer flights are scheduled.
How complicated are the works and how do the staff sustain 22 weeks of night shifts?
How did we get to this point?
Image source, Jamie Niblock/BBC
Image caption,The team has worked for 440 hours, during the course of 22 weeks, to resurface the airport
The Essex terminal underwent its last full resurfacing in 2006.
About 15 million passengers passed through its gates that year, compared with the 28 million expected this year.
It took three years to plan for this resurfacing project.
Neil Thomson, the airport asset development director, said: "Handling up to 50 aircraft movements an hour, the runway is obviously a key asset for the airport so it's critical it is maintained to the highest standard."
What needs to be done?
Image source, Jamie Niblock/BBC
Image caption,Neil Thomson, the airport's asset development director, said it took three years to plan the resurfacing
The engineering firm Lagan began the project on 8 January and is aiming to complete by 6 June.
- Lay approximately 65,000 tonnes of asphalt
- Replace about 1,500 runway lights with more energy-efficient LED bulbs
- Lay about 62 miles (100km) of new cabling
Joe Rollerson is an electrician who joined the team as an aeronautical ground lighting technician.
"It's an amazing project - really interesting," said the 24-year-old.
"It was by coincidence I found the job and I took an interest straight away."
What is it like working in a noisy, and potentially hazardous, environment?
Image source, Jamie Niblock/BBC
Image caption,Joe Rollerson said he found out about the job by chance
The team are working night shifts, with a difference.
They are on duty from 00:00-06:00 and for the first 11 weeks the runway was closed completely.
During the second half of the project, with greater demand for flights going into the Easter holidays, there is a reduced works schedule through the night, which ramps up from 05:00.
The team works on rotation.
"A project of this scale is very complex and clearly presents us with a number of operational challenges," said Mr Thomson.
"The whole project has been meticulously planned and we aim to complete the work as quickly and safely as possible."
Malachy Doyle, the project manager at Lagan, calculated they have 440 hours to get the job done.
"It's quite a unique feeling to have a plane landing over the top of you," said Mr Doyle.
"Literally every minute counts."
Image source, Jamie Niblock/BBC
Image caption,Malachy Doyle said it was an "exciting" project
What next?
Image source, Jamie Niblock/BBC
Image caption,The team spends the final hour of their shift cleaning up, while the number of flights increases
London Stansted Airport is preparing for its busiest Easter and summer season since before the pandemic.
Up to 600 planes are expected to take off every day this summer, flying to 190 destinations, with about 60 planes based on site.
Increasing customers will mean more revenue for the owner, Manchester Airport Group, which will strengthen its plans to expand passenger numbers to 43 million per year.
Image source, PA Media
Image caption,Stansted Airport said it was pleased with the increasing passenger numbers
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