Merimbula Airport passengers in limbo after heavy rains delay reopening

Passengers have been left in the lurch after airlines were forced to scuttle flights scheduled for a key regional airport, with heavy rains that have battered the region stalling planned works.

Passengers hoping to fly out of an important south coast airport have been thrown into limbo after heavy rains stalled reconstruction efforts.

Merimbula Airport has been closed for six weeks and was due to reopen on March 14.

That now won’t happen another three weeks, with flights in and out of the popular far south coast town expected to recommence on March 25.

Bega Valley Shire Council project services manager Daniel Djikic said that while the postponement was “inconvenient” for travellers, airlines and the broader community, the council had no other option.

“Unfortunately we are at the mercy of the weather and there’s not much we can do,” he said.

“We’ve looked at a number of scenarios to complete the work as close to the original schedule as possible, but with the amount of rain we’ve had, and more rain forecast, we’ve had to plan for a 10-day extension to the airport closure.

The reopening of Merimbula Airport has been postponed by heavy rains that scuttled reconstruction work. Picture: Bega Valley Shire Council

“If anything changes with the weather that will impact the planned reopening date, we will inform the airlines and the community as soon as possible.”

For passengers with flights already booked for the busy airport, that comes as little relief.

Colleen Lovelock said on Facebook: “I hope Rex and Qantas have a Plan B for all of us that were able to book months ago for dates after the planned maintenance period.”

Jan McGrath lamented the postponement, stating that: “I’m supposed to be flying out on Monday.”

For Mandy Miller, the postponement was an indictment on the council’s previous works.

“It‘s not the airline’s fault,” she said.

“The council should have done this properly last time and extended it then … but of course they did not.”

Construction began in January on the second stage of the airport’s expansion, which would see the northern end of the runway being extended, with sealing and strengthening also being undertaken.

Rex Airlines is one of two operators flying out of Merimbula Airport. Picture: Jerad Williams

Mr Djikic said work was still being carried out in preparation for the resealing to restart.

Before storm conditions scuttled work, the north and south runway extensions had been completed, according to the council.

In a statement, the council said that the taxiways and apron had also been strengthened and stabilised, and about 80 per cent of the runway had been sealed with its first coat.

“The sealing of the remainder of the runway, taxiways and apron will commence once the pavement has sufficiently dried out, followed by line marking and final safety checks before the airport reopens,” the council said.

The council said it had been working closely with the airlines and emergency services throughout the project.

A spokesman for Rex Airlines said the Sydney to Moruya route, which had been operating since January 31 as a replacement service, would be continued for another seven days, until March 20 – five days short of Merimbula Airport’s new reopening date.

The spokesman said any passengers with tickets on the Sydney or Melbourne to Merimbula route would be offered an alternate flight to Moruya, could change the date of their ticket until after the reopening, or receive a full refund.

“We apologise for any inconvenience, however it outside of Rex’s control due to the airport being fully closed by the Bega Valley Shire Council,” the spokesman said.