Airfield engineering experts from 1 Canadian Air Division in Winnipeg arrived at 5 Wing Goose Bay yesterday November 8, 2017, at 4:30 p.m.
They immediately went to work on assessing the crack sealant issue.
That assessment was completed last night, and solution development began immediately afterwards to find a way to safely resume flight operations.
The experts are currently on the airfield developing and refining those solutions.
They are looking at both the near term solution to get one runway safely activated and the long term solution to return the remainder of the airfield to full and safe operations.
As the solutions progress, additional news will be released.
5 Wing Goose Bay has been and remains in contact with its federal, provincial, and municipal partners; as well as Goose Bay Airport Corporation to provide information in an accurate and timely manner.
It is 5 Wing’s intent to remain forthcoming with accurate information as progress is made.
At this point timelines cannot be provided but will be once known.
“Our experts are on the ground and are working to find solutions to the closure of the runways. No effort is being spared. We appreciate the patience and understanding the customers of the Goose Bay Airport have shown to this point. The inconvenience this closure causes to those who rely on the airport is not lost on us. Safety is always the primary concern when dealing with flight operations. The safety of passengers and aircrews coming through 5 Wing Goose Bays airfield is our top concern. 5 Wing is striving to return to normal flight operations as soon as possible.”
Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Wedgwood, Wing Commander, 5 Wing Goose Bay