Upgrades to Estonia’s capital airport at Tallinn have begun with delays expected during the course of the project. 

Airport operator Einari Bambus, said that delayed flights arriving to the airport between 12:30 and 6:00 am may have to be redirected to Helsinki or Riga as a result of the works.

Einari Bambus said that the project is one of the most difficult ever carried out in the country, and safety would be a huge challenge when keeping the airport in operation.

Construction at the airport is expected to take over 18 months with the runway surface to be replaced and the length to be extended to 3,480 meters.

Other improvements include upgrading the de-icing areas, improving the taxiways among other infrastructural works.

Passenger numbers at Tallinn airport increased 7.4% in 2015 compared to the previous year. Last year the airport serviced 2.16 million passengers.