EZE Runway Works 2026: Which Flights Are Affected

Is Ezeiza (EZE) airport closing in October 2026?

No. Ezeiza International Airport stays open through the works — but from 25 October to 11 November 2026 its main runway is shortened, and that forces several long-haul flights to be suspended or rerouted. During those roughly two weeks only runway 11-29 is in use, cut to 1,850 metres from its usual 3,300. A shorter runway means fully loaded wide-body jets cannot take off at full weight, so the airport keeps running while a handful of specific routes change. If you fly through EZE in late October or early November 2026, the one thing that matters is your individual flight — check it with your airline, because the disruption is narrow and route-specific, not a shutdown.

What exactly is happening to the runway?

Aeropuertos Argentina announced the plan on 25 February 2026: an investment of about USD 110 million — nearly half the operator's entire 2026 spend — to rehabilitate the secondary runway (17-35) and its intersection with the main runway (11-29). To do the intersection safely, the main runway is temporarily adapted down to 1,850 m for the peak execution window.

Here is why that length matters. A long-haul jet bound for Europe or the United States needs a long takeoff roll when it is heavy with fuel and passengers. Halve the runway and the physics no longer works for a full load. The airport does not close; it simply cannot launch a fully fuelled wide-body during the window. Airlines then choose between suspending the route, flying it lighter with a refuelling stop, or switching to a smaller aircraft.

The reason the shortening cannot be avoided is the intersection itself. EZE's two runways cross, and the secondary runway 17-35 has not been resurfaced in years; rebuilding it means working right where the two strips meet, which takes a stretch of the main runway out of service. Aeropuertos Argentina scheduled the intensive phase for late October into November partly because it falls just before the December peak, when Argentine summer traffic and the holidays push EZE to its busiest. Doing the heavy work in a two-week block, rather than dragging it across the high season, is the trade-off that keeps the airport usable the rest of the year.

Which flights are affected at EZE in November 2026?

Each airline has published its own workaround. The picture below reflects announcements confirmed as of July 2026 — always reconfirm closer to travel, as schedules still shift.

American's solution is the unusual one: rather than cancel, it sends the jet on a short hop to Carrasco in Uruguay — about 230 km — to take on fuel before the ocean crossing. United and Delta took the simpler route and paused their services outright. The takeaway for you is practical: a suspended flight needs rebooking now, while a refuel-stop flight just adds time to your journey.

Will domestic and short-haul flights keep running?

Yes. Domestic (cabotaje) and regional short-haul services are largely unaffected, because a smaller aircraft on a shorter sector does not need the full runway length. The works even add a new aircraft parking area — the "Golf" platform, with room for seven narrow-body jets — so ground capacity actually grows during the project. If your itinerary is a domestic connection within Argentina or a short regional flight to a neighbouring country, you are unlikely to notice the runway works at all beyond the usual construction signage.

The nuance is connections. If you arrive on a domestic flight to catch a long-haul departure that has been moved or suspended, the domestic leg is fine but the international leg may not be — so the check still comes down to the specific long-haul flight number.

What should you do if you fly through EZE in this window?

A short, ordered checklist covers almost every case:

• Check your exact flight first. Open your airline's app or the EZE departures and arrivals pages and confirm your specific number for the 24 Oct – 11 Nov window.
• If it is suspended, rebook or ask for a reroute now, not at the airport — the affected routes are known months ahead, so availability on alternatives is best early.
• If it has a refuel stop, add the extra hour or two to your plans and re-check any onward connection you booked separately.
• Build a buffer. A constrained runway can slow departures even for unaffected flights, so leave more time than usual and read our EZE immigration wait times guide before you go.
• Sort your ground transfer in advance. Arrivals may bunch up as schedules shift; pre-arranging a private transfer or knowing your route into the city saves stress on the day.

What else is being built at Ezeiza?

The runway work is one piece of a wider upgrade, which is worth knowing because it changes how EZE will feel after November 2026. Alongside the runway and taxiway (the Alfa taxiway is being repaved and the beacon ring remodelled), Aeropuertos Argentina is expanding the domestic arrivals terminal by 1,200 m², adding five new gates to bring the total to twelve, and building 3,500 m² of extra pre-boarding space. In other words, the two-week squeeze in late 2026 buys a bigger, safer airport afterwards — the disruption is the cost of a genuine capacity increase, not routine patching.