Halifax airport reopens main runway after Air Canada crash last month

HALIFAX – The main runway at Halifax’s airport has been cleared to reopen with some limitations on its use after a plane crash almost two weeks ago took it out of service.

Halifax Stanfield International Airport said it planned to open the runway on Thursday night but it didn’t elaborate on what limitations on its operations remain in effect.

The runway has been cleaned, undergone an environmental assessment, passed a surface test, and had its lighting systems checked and verified.

The airport says more work needs to be done before the runway is fully in service because Nav Canada hasn’t had time to bring an antenna array that was damaged in the crash back into service.

There is no timetable for the runway to return to full service.

All the passengers and crew survived when Air Canada Flight 624 crashed March 29 as it landed at the airport in a snowstorm.

The Airbus A320 was flying from Toronto when it slammed into the ground about 335 metres short of the runway, then skidded for another 335 metres before stopping.

There were 133 passengers and five crew on board the plane. Twenty-three people were taken to hospital for treatment.

The accident is being investigated by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada.