Around 50 trees will be felled in Öskjuhlíð this week to improve flight safety at Reykjavíkurflugvöllur (Reykjavík Airport), after a runway had to be closed at the facility.
The east-west runway at Reykjavíkurflugvöllur was closed over the weekend by order of Samgöngustofa (Icelandic Transport Authority), as the height of the vegetation in Öskjuhlíð is considered a threat to flight safety.
Fifty trees will be felled in the coming days.
Hallgrímur Jón Hallgrímsson, a lumberjack, says that various factors must be considered when felling trees.
The youngest trees are around 40 years old, while the oldest are between 60 and 70 years old.
The felling will also allow sunlight to reach rowan trees that have so far grown in the shadow of taller trees, which should help them to thrive.
Reykjavík Airport is the country’s main domestic airport, connecting the capital with towns in all parts of Iceland, such as Ísafjörður, Akureyri, and Egilsstaðir.
Source: Ruv.is
