Eindhoven Airport will close for five consecutive months for a large-scale renovation of the runway it shares with military base Vliegbasis Eindhoven, forcing holidaymakers to go elsewhere.

The location, of which Eindhoven Airport forms part, is the home base of the Air Mobility Command which carries out military transports for international humanitarian and special missions.

It is not yet known when the work will start but earlier plans suggested the period between February and July 2025, local broadcaster Omroep Brabant reported. There has been no official confirmation of the dates.

The plans mean passengers leaving from Eindhoven Airport, which processed a record 6.8 million passengers last year, will now have to opt for other airports for part of the holiday season. Málaga, Alicante and London’s Stansted airport led the most popular destinations list from Eindhoven in 2023.

The runway renovation includes lighting, cabling and drainage and an improved system to allow planes to take off in thick fog. The cost of the renovation has not been finalised and six companies have been invited to tender for the contract.