Legendary Airport · Gibraltar
Gibraltar: The Road Across the Runway
Most airports have a level crossing for the occasional maintenance vehicle. Gibraltar had one for its main road. For decades, the road between Gibraltar and the Spanish border ran straight across the middle of the airport runway. Every time an aircraft landed or took off, barriers came down, traffic lights turned red, and cars, buses and pedestrians waited while a jet thundered past.
Why it ended up this way
Gibraltar is a British Overseas Territory of under seven square kilometres, most of it taken up by the Rock itself. The only flat ground big enough for a runway is the narrow strip of land that joins Gibraltar to Spain. Unfortunately, that’s also the only place a road to the border can go. So the runway, built out into the bay at both ends, was laid straight across the route of the road, Winston Churchill Avenue.
The airfield is also RAF Gibraltar, a Royal Air Force station, shared with civilian flights. Commercial services connect mainly with the UK.
The real numbers
Road meets runway
1
Main road
Winston Churchill Avenue to the border
Barriers
For every flight
Traffic stopped for each movement
350m
New tunnel
Under the east end of the runway
31 Mar 2023
Tunnel opened
Traffic now flows during flights
The 2023 tunnel
The crossing was charming for visitors and a headache for everyone else, causing queues every time a flight was due. On 31 March 2023, a new road opened. Called The Kingsway, it links the border area with Devil’s Tower Road and passes under the east end of the runway through a 350-metre tunnel. Vehicles can now keep moving while aircraft land and take off above them.
Even so, the image of a road and a runway sharing the same tarmac remains one of the most famous sights in aviation, and the surface crossing hasn’t vanished from Gibraltar’s identity, or its postcards.
Why approaches here are tricky too
The road isn’t the only challenge. The Rock rises more than 400 metres right beside the runway, and wind flowing around it can create strong turbulence and wind shear for aircraft on approach. Combined with water at both ends of a fairly short runway, it makes Gibraltar an airport that pilots prepare for carefully. Curious how the runway got its numbers? Our runway numbers explainer covers it.
Sources & Further Reading
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a road really cross the runway at Gibraltar?
Yes. Winston Churchill Avenue, the main road between Gibraltar and the border with Spain, crosses the runway. For decades it was closed with barriers every time an aircraft landed or took off.
Is the road still closed for flights?
Since 31 March 2023 a new road, The Kingsway, runs under the east end of the runway through a 350-metre tunnel, so vehicle traffic can keep moving while aircraft land and take off.
Why was the runway built across the road?
Gibraltar is tiny. The only flat land big enough for a runway is the narrow isthmus joining the territory to Spain, which is also where the road to the border has to run.
Is Gibraltar airport also a military airfield?
Yes. It is also RAF Gibraltar, an airfield of the UK Royal Air Force, and is shared with civilian flights.
Can you walk across the runway?
Pedestrians and cyclists have historically crossed at the old crossing when no aircraft are moving. Arrangements change, so follow the signs and instructions on the day.