It is the question we get asked more than any other, and the honest answer is that there is no single number. Airport line marking maintenance depends on how much traffic the pavement sees, what the surface is made of, and how much sun and rain it takes across the year.
What we can give you is a way to judge it, so the decision is not left until an inspector makes it for you.
Why markings wear at different rates
Two runways marked on the same day, with the same paint, will not wear at the same rate. The variables that matter most are:
Traffic volume and type. Every landing puts rubber and load through the touchdown zone. A busy regional airport wears its threshold and touchdown markings far faster than its side stripes.
Pavement surface. Fresh asphalt behaves differently to an aged, oxidised surface. Porous or heavily textured pavement holds paint differently again, and a chip seal will not present the same face as a dense asphalt overlay.
Climate and UV. This is the big one in Australia. A runway in far north Queensland or the Northern Territory takes punishing UV year round. The same markings in Tasmania will hold their colour noticeably longer. Wet season scouring and standing water add to it.
Fuel and hydraulic spills. Aprons and parking positions cop spillage that runways do not. That is a chemical attack on the paint film, not just abrasion, and it is why fuel resistant treatments exist for those areas.
How the markings were applied. Surface preparation, film thickness and whether the pavement was properly cured before marking all affect how long the job lasts.
A practical way to judge it
Rather than working to a fixed calendar, inspect against three things. Do it in bright midday light, because that is the least forgiving condition and the closest to what a pilot sees.
- Contrast. Can you clearly separate the marking from the pavement at a distance? A marking that has gone from white to pale grey has lost most of its value even though it is still there.
- Edge definition. Crisp edges mean the film is intact. Feathered, broken or ragged edges mean it is breaking down and will deteriorate quickly from that point.
- Film coverage. Look for pavement showing through. Once the surface is visible through the marking across a broad area, you are past a touch up.
If two of the three are marginal, plan the work. If all three are, it is already overdue.
Plan your airport line marking maintenance, do not react to it
The most expensive line marking job is the one booked in a hurry because an inspection flagged it.
Reactive work means paying for mobilisation at short notice, taking whatever access window is available rather than the one that suits your operation, and often doing more work than would have been needed if it had been caught earlier. Markings that have worn back to nothing take more preparation and more paint than markings that are simply due.
Planned airport line marking maintenance also lets you bundle. If the runway is due, the taxiways and apron are usually not far behind, and doing them in one mobilisation costs far less than three separate trips. That matters most at remote sites, where getting a crew and equipment to the aerodrome is a significant part of the cost.
Refresh work is core work for us
We mark new pavement and we refresh existing markings that have worn back. Both are core work.
A refresh is not simply painting over the top. Existing markings may need removal where the layout has changed or where previous work has built up, the surface needs to be clean and sound, and the new markings need to line up with the geometry that should be there rather than the geometry that has drifted over successive repaints.
Where markings need to come off rather than be painted over, we carry out airport line marking removal. Where a surface is exposed to fuel, we can apply fuel resistant pavement seal.
Working around your operation
Line marking maintenance at a live aerodrome has to fit around aircraft movements, not the other way around.
Our linemarkers hold RED ASIC cards for airport access and our team includes CASA certified air and ground radio operators, so we can work airside and communicate properly with the people running the movement area. We carry 20 million dollar public liability insurance.
We use Wattyl paints for all our line marking, tested to meet the harsh requirements of Australia and New Zealand’s environment. On surfaces that spend the whole year under Australian sun, the paint choice is a large part of how long the job lasts.
Across more than 25 years we have worked at regional, mining and remote airports including Aurukun, Lockhart River, Normanton, Mundubbera, Karumba, Mt Isa, Emerald, Port Augusta, Connellan at Uluru and Parkes, plus major overlay projects in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.
Not sure where your markings sit?
If you are weighing up whether your markings will make it through another year, we are happy to talk it through. It is usually a short conversation, and it is better had now than after an inspection.
See our line marking services or get in touch with Shane and Mel for a free quote.
