EZE Runway Works 2026: Which Flights Are Affected

Updated: August 13, 2026

Ezeiza is not closing. For 18 days, from 25 October to 11 November 2026, the airport runs on one runway shortened from 3,300 m to about 1,850 m — enough for most flights, but not for a fully loaded long-haul departure. Some airlines suspend, some add a refuelling stop, and the rest are unaffected. As of 2026 the airline-by-airline picture below is what has been announced.

What exactly is happening to the runway?

The main runway is being resurfaced, and while that work runs the usable length is cut to roughly 1,850 m from the normal 3,300 m. The airport stays open throughout and keeps operating on a single runway.

Short runway plus heavy aircraft is the whole problem. A wide-body needs distance to lift a full load of passengers, bags and the fuel for a twelve-hour flight, and 1,850 m does not provide it. Short-haul and regional aircraft are barely troubled; intercontinental departures are where the schedule breaks.

Which airlines suspend and which keep flying?

Three different strategies, and which one your airline picked decides what happens to your trip.

Treat this as the announced position rather than a guarantee. Plans have already shifted once as the date approached, so confirm your own flight directly with the airline before making any other arrangements.

What is a technical stop, and does it affect you?

It is a refuelling stop, nothing more. The aircraft takes off from Ezeiza deliberately light — less fuel aboard, so it can get airborne on the shortened runway — then lands at a nearby airport, fills up properly, and continues. American is using Montevideo for this; Aerolíneas Argentinas is using Rio de Janeiro on its Rome and Madrid services.

For passengers it usually means staying on board for an hour or so on the ground. You generally do not change aircraft or reclaim bags. What it does change is the total journey time, so if you have a tight onward connection at the far end, look at it again.

What if your airline suspends its flights?

You are entitled to be rebooked or refunded — this is a planned airline cancellation, announced well in advance, not a weather event. Contact the airline rather than waiting to be contacted, because the earlier you engage the more alternatives are still open.

Options worth asking about: an earlier or later departure outside the 25 October to 11 November window; a routing through another hub such as São Paulo, Santiago or Montevideo; or a switch to a partner airline that is still flying. If you booked through an agency or a third-party site, the request goes through them.

Are domestic and regional flights affected?

Largely not. The constraint is takeoff distance for heavy long-haul aircraft, and domestic and short regional services use smaller aircraft on shorter sectors that the reduced runway still accommodates comfortably.

There is a connection risk, though. If a domestic leg feeds an international departure that has been suspended or rescheduled, the domestic flight may be fine while the trip as a whole is not. Check the international leg first, then work backwards.

Could you fly from Aeroparque instead?

For some journeys, yes. Aeroparque is the city airport and handles domestic plus regional international routes to Uruguay, Brazil, Chile, Bolivia and Paraguay — none of which depend on Ezeiza's long runway.

So a trip that can be re-routed through São Paulo, Santiago or Montevideo may work from Aeroparque even while a direct long-haul from Ezeiza does not. The two airports are about 47 km apart with no baggage transfer between them, so plan the crossing properly: our EZE to AEP transfer guide covers timings and our Buenos Aires airports page explains which airport handles what.

What should you do now?

Work through it in order, and do it before the window rather than during it.

• Check whether your flight falls between 25 October and 11 November 2026.
• Confirm your specific flight with the airline — the table above is the announced plan, not your booking.
• If it is suspended, ask about rebooking outside the window or via another hub straight away.
• If it has a fuel stop, recheck any onward connection for the extra time.
• Keep some flexibility on the ground: arrangements made in advance are easier to move than ones made at the airport.

For getting to the airport itself, nothing changes — see our airport to city guide, and a pre-booked airport transfer keeps that part fixed while the flying part moves.

What happens after 11 November?

Normal operations resume. The runway returns to its full 3,300 m, the suspended routes come back, and the technical stops disappear from the schedules. The work is part of a wider modernisation of the airport rather than a repair, so the disruption buys a longer-term improvement.

If you are booking for December onwards — including the southern summer peak — you are outside this window and can plan normally. Our flights guide and departures guide cover the usual timings.