The new, nearly 2-mile-long runway has been shut down for a week from a freakish bolt that struck during a storm, blasting a chunk from the concrete about the size of a basketball. Airport staff are consulting with specialists about filling the hole in a fashion to meet Federal Aviation Administration guidelines.
The airport may have the runway reopened by late this week or early next week, said PTIA Director of Development Mickie Elmore.
“It’s not a statement or criticism of how the runway was built. It just shows the power of lightning,” he said.
The strike happened June 16, four days after 1,200 guests showed up on the second Saturday of this month to dedicate the runway during a ceremony and run/walk.
No one was injured in the lightning strike, Elmore said Tuesday following the monthly meeting of the Piedmont Triad Airport Authority. The runway repairs could cost up to several thousand dollars, he said.
The new runway, which actually opened to flights in late January, was built to accommodate the year-old FedEx Corp. cargo hub. The airport expansion for FedEx’s latest national overnight sorting operation, begun six years ago, is nearly complete.
A spokeswoman for the FAA said it’s rare for a runway to be taken out of service for a week or more from a lightning strike.
“It’s very unusual. Usually it’s a matter of hours or a day or so,” said FAA public affairs representative Kathleen Bergen at the regional office in Atlanta.
pjohnson@hpe.com | 888-3528
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