Leeds Bradford Airport runway repaired after overnight closure

Leeds Bradford Airport said flights have resumed on Saturday morning after repairs were completed on the runway which forced its closure.

The airport, which usually operates flights 24 hours a day, said an issue with the runway forced the closure on Friday night.

A statement on the airport website at 6am on Saturday said the runway was open and operations had resumed.

It said some delays and disruptions could continue and advised passengers to arrive as planned on Saturday.

“Customers are advised to check with their airline for the most up-to-date information regarding their flight,” the airport said on Facebook, apologising for any inconvenience.

“Our customer care teams are working hard but are experiencing high volumes. We are responding on a first-come, first-served basis.”

In an earlier statement, the airport said: “We are working to resolve the disruption as soon as possible, the safety and comfort of the passengers travelling through our terminal is our number one priority.”

Announcing the closure, the airport said on Friday night there had been an “unforeseen issue with the runway”.

According to the airport’s website, 14 scheduled arrivals late on Friday and early on Saturday were diverted to Manchester, Newcastle, Birmingham, Liverpool, Stansted, Humberside and East Midlands airports.

One departure to Amsterdam at 6.20am on Saturday was listed as cancelled with passengers advised to contact the airline, KLM, while some flights were delayed.

Dozens of flights depart from the airport every day, which was granted planning permission to operate throughout the night in 1994.

The designated night-time flight period is from 11pm to 7am, when only the quietest jets are permitted to operate, the airport’s website said.