St. Thomas Airport Nightly Runway Closures Through 2026
Key points
- Cyril E. King Airport (STT) is closing its single runway nightly from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. starting December 1, 2025 through 2026
- The closures support a pavement boring phase starting December 1 and a runway resurfacing project expected to begin in January 2026
- Late evening arrivals are more likely to be retimed earlier, delayed into the closure window, or diverted if they cannot land before 10 p.m
- Daytime flight banks may get tighter, increasing missed connection risk for travelers planning same night ferries or onward island flights
- Travelers can reduce risk by booking daytime arrivals, avoiding the last flight of the night, and adding an overnight buffer on St. Thomas when connections matter
Impact
- Where Impacts Are Most Likely
- Late evening arrivals and departures into Cyril E. King Airport are most exposed, especially on days when earlier delays push schedules toward 10 p.m.
- Best Times To Fly
- Aim for morning and early afternoon arrivals so routine delays are less likely to spill into the nightly closure window
- Connections And Misconnect Risk
- Same night ferry plans, hotel check ins, and onward island flights are higher risk if your inbound is scheduled late in the evening
- Onward Travel And Changes
- Consider building a one night St. Thomas buffer, or routing via a nearby hub with earlier connections if you cannot avoid late arrivals
- What Travelers Should Do Now
- Rebook to daytime flights where possible, monitor airline advisories and VIPA updates, and plan ground and lodging backups in case you divert or arrive the next morning
St. Thomas airport runway closure planning just became a real booking constraint at Cyril E. King Airport (STT), because the airport's single runway is closing nightly from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., starting December 1, 2025, and continuing through 2026. This affects travelers on late flights, plus anyone counting on same night ferries, hotel check ins, or onward island connections. The practical move is to shift arrivals earlier in the day, add buffers for tight connections, and treat the last flight of the evening as higher risk for diversions or next morning arrivals.
The St. Thomas airport runway closure creates a predictable nightly cutoff that can turn normal delays into missed arrivals and forced overnights.
St. Thomas Airport Runway Closure Window
The Virgin Islands Port Authority (VIPA) says the runway at Cyril E. King Airport will be closed nightly from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., beginning December 1, 2025, and running through calendar year 2026. The closure window is local time in St. Thomas (UTC minus 4 year round), and it applies to the airport's only runway, which is why late operations have less flexibility than at multi runway hubs.
VIPA describes this as a long duration infrastructure program with two phases. First, a pavement boring project begins December 1, 2025 to support geotechnical work on the runway structure. VIPA then expects to transition into a runway resurfacing project starting in January 2026, described as a $27 million rehabilitation effort awarded to Island Roads Corporation and funded primarily by a federal FAA grant plus Passenger Facility Charges. VIPA says the goal is to reduce unexpected pavement failures and improve long term runway reliability, noting the last major rehabilitation occurred in 2012.
Why Travelers Feel A Nightly Closure More Than A One Off Shutdown
A nightly runway closure behaves differently than a short emergency stoppage. The schedule might look fine when you book, but the real risk shows up on the day of travel when small delays stack. If your inbound flight is already scheduled near the end of the evening, a late departure from the mainland, air traffic flow delays, weather, or a maintenance issue can easily push arrival past 10 p.m. Once the closure window starts, airlines may have to hold, return, divert to a nearby alternate airport, or retime the flight to land after reopening.
VIPA's notice is also a signal to expect airline schedule reshaping over time. Carriers do not like building flights that routinely bump into a hard cutoff, so you should expect some late departures to be pulled earlier, with more flying concentrated into daytime and early evening "banks." That can tighten connection options, and it can make the last few flights of the day feel more crowded and less forgiving when anything runs late.
What To Do If You Have A Late Arrival Or A Tight Same Night Connection
The most conservative traveler playbook is simple. Book a daytime arrival into Cyril E. King Airport whenever you can, and avoid building an itinerary that requires you to land late and immediately connect onward by ferry, taxi, or a small inter island flight. If your trip includes an event, a charter, a villa check in that matters, or a boat departure the next morning, add a one night buffer on St. Thomas rather than betting on the final arrival wave.
If you cannot avoid an evening arrival, reduce how many things depend on it. Keep ground transportation flexible, warn your hotel that a late or next morning arrival is possible, and avoid prepaying for nonrefundable same night activities. For island hopping travelers, verify the latest ferry and flight timetables close to departure, then choose a plan that still works if you arrive after midnight or the next morning.
It is also worth thinking about alternates before you fly, not after something breaks. Nearby airports in the region can serve as practical fallbacks for diversions and reroutes, and travelers should be mentally ready for a scenario where they land elsewhere and continue the journey later by a rebooked flight. The key is to plan your lodging, transfers, and check in rules so you are not trapped by a no show cancellation if the runway closure turns a minor delay into a different arrival city.
What To Watch For Through 2026
VIPA says it will continue to update the public as the projects progress, including the specific duration details around the nightly closures. That matters because "through 2026" is a broad planning window, not a precise end date. Travelers should treat this as a standing constraint for winter peak season, spring break, and summer 2026 trips, and recheck flight times after purchase, not just before departure.
If you are booking far ahead, pay close attention to schedule change emails, because airlines may retime flights to fit inside the runway operating window. When you see a change, react quickly. It is usually easier to move to an earlier same day flight while inventory is available than to salvage a disrupted late arrival the week of travel.