During the inspection, large cracks were found in the concrete of the runway and taxiways.
In Norway, NATO's air base on the island of Andøya has been closed due to maintenance issues. The runway has become unusable.
"The biggest problem is the runway. Due to its limitations, the island of Andøya cannot be used during major NATO exercises like 'Cold Response', and many other allied activities have already come to a halt," said base commander Lieutenant Colonel Eystein Dahlberg.
During the inspection, large cracks were found in the concrete of the runway and taxiways. Soil erosion has made the operation of the base impossible. As a result, a decision was made to close the facility.
Andøya is the westernmost island of the Vesterålen archipelago, in the Nordland county of Norway. The island is part of the municipality of Andøy and is among the 10 largest islands in Norway. The area of the island is 490 km². The island of Andøya is connected to the island of Hinnøya by the Andøya Bridge.
In 1962, a rocket center was established on the island. On November 2, 2023, a spaceport of the same name was opened on the island. The launch pad supports the two-stage Spectrum rocket, developed by Isar Aerospace to deliver payloads of up to 700 kilograms to a sun-synchronous orbit and up to 1000 kilograms to a low Earth orbit.
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