More PBIA flight delays feared as airport plans overall of main runway
Flight delays at Palm Beach International Airport, already among the worst in the country, could worsen in the coming months.
The Palm Beach County Department of Airports is preparing to rehabilitate the airport's 10,000-foot primary commercial runway, known as 10 L. The $27 million project will require overnight closures later this year and a complete shutdown for six months in 2027, according to airport officials.
The first phase of the work will result in the closure of Runway 10L from 10 p.m. through 6 a.m. Monday to Friday from October 2026 to January 2027. Then, from February through July 2027, the 10L runway would be closed all day. All aircraft would use the smaller 7,000-foot crosswind runway.
"Wow" was the reaction of Nancy Pullam, a member of the Citizens' Committee on Airport Noise. She and other members were briefed on the upcoming work during a recent meeting with airport staff members.
"Oh Lordy," said another member.
Airport Director Laura Beebe said some carriers may need to adjust their schedules during the first phase because flights will not be able to take off or land after 11 p.m. on weeknights. Once the main runway is closed in 2027, carriers may have to reduce the load on their planes because the secondary runway is much shorter than the main one.
The work will include:
- Overlaying the existing asphalt pavement on Runway 10L
- Reconstructing the asphalt shoulder pavement
- Regrading runway safety areas to meet FAA standards
- Improving the drainage system
- Replacing and restriping airfield markings
- Upgrading airfield electrical systems, including runway lighting and signs
Airport officials say the main runway is in need of repairs
Despite the claim that the work should not cause delays, airport officials have previously cited runway construction and maintenance as factors contributing to flight delays at the airport.
The Palm Beach Post recently reported that it had a delay rate of more than 10% in 2025, the highest of major airports surveyed by AirAdvisor, a flight and baggage compensation company. The average delay exceeded 140 minutes.
Anton Radchenko, the CEO of AirAdvisor, said history tends to prove airport administrators wrong when they say shuttered runways won't affect delays.
At San Francisco International Airport, the majority of 272 delayed flights and 109 cancellations in a single day came from a runway renovation in 2019, he noted. That same year at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, a 120-day runway closure during the storm-prone months forced all flights onto a single backup runway, which was reported to have reduced passenger capacity by a million.
PBI spokesperson Rebeca Krogman said that airport officials have coordinated with the airlines well in advance of the scheduled overnight runway closure so they could modify their schedules and help mitigate any operational impacts during the construction period.
"When an airport already ranked among the most exposed in the U.S. for severe delays embarks on a project like this, the situation rarely improves," Radchenko added.
The rehabilitation work at the airport is intended to extend the life of one of the airport's key runways, improve safety compliance, and maintain reliability while the airport prepares for projected growth in commercial and private aviation traffic.
Areas of pavement are currently cracked, deteriorating, and producing "foreign object debris," according to documents submitted to the county commission.
"This is later than we had hoped for," noted Pullam of the timing of the project. "It puts us in the middle of the season."
Beebe said the project is contingent on receiving a federal grant. Once it is received, she noted, the work will begin immediately.
Proposed future expansions discussed by county officials also include extending the shorter parallel runway to relieve capacity constraints.
Mike Diamond is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. He covers Palm Beach County government. You can reach him at mdiamond@pbpost.com. Help support local journalism. Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: More PBIA flight delays feared as airport plans overall of main runway
Reporting by Mike Diamond, Palm Beach Post / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Copyright Reuters or USA Today Network via Reuters Connect
This story was originally published June 30, 2026 at 12:55 PM.