The runway patching is expected to take seven days to complete with the work being carried out by contractor Bar-W Airports. The work will not interrupt scheduled air services between the island and Glasgow.

The airport’s 06/24 runway provides 1,350 metres of usable surface and is the principal runway used for the island’s only scheduled air service, operated under a Scottish Executive funded Public Service Obligation by British Airways franchise partner Loganair Limited.

Tiree Airport handled 2,249 passengers between April and July this year, a 13% increase on the same period last year, and 328 aircraft movements, a 3.5% increase. The airport, which handled 6,014 passengers in 2004/05, is the smallest of 10 operated by HIAL.

HIAL’s infrastructure services manager Grant Dudgeon said: “Use, weather and time have eroded parts of the runway surface and these are now being repaired as part of the maintenance programme we operate for the 10 airports.

“This remedial work will improve the ride quality of the surface on the airport’s main runway. We had hoped to start the work earlier in the summer but our contractor was unable to find accommodation on the island during the busy tourist season, no doubt in part due to the higher number of visitors flying to the island.”