The Smart Marty Sky Dispatch
Lightning strike punches hand-sized holes in Brisbane Airport runway in rare event not seen in 30 years
The runway was closed for eight hours with passengers reporting it sounding like an explosion.
A lightning strike damaged the western runway at Brisbane Airport, punching several hand-sized holes and prompting emergency repairs. The incident occurred at about 3:11 pm local time on a Tuesday, as severe thunderstorms swept through southeast Queensland with large hail, damaging winds and heavy rain.
Engineers assessed the damage and removed the affected sections before re-asphalting the runway to fill the holes. The western runway was closed for roughly eight hours while work was completed and the surface was repaired.
During the closures, the airport remained open and operations continued on the eastern runway, with flights taking off and landing as usual on that runway. No flight cancellations were reported in the airport’s updates.
Passengers experienced disruption, including delays and overnight accommodation arrangements, though the airport reported no cancellations. One traveler described being relocated to a hotel after their flight was redirected or delayed, while another noted a 50-minute delay for a flight from Townsville and later lines for accommodation.
The western runway reopened on Wednesday morning, allowing aviation activity to resume. The reopening coincided with the arrival of a Silk Way Airlines Il-76 cargo plane at Brisbane International Airport in the conditions, marking a notable moment for observers.