Christchurch Airport has been given a slight makeover, with more than 500 tonnes of asphalt brought in to repair the runways.

More than 100 contractors worked overnight, with further repairs planned for Thursday.

Chief Operating Officer Andy Lester says flights were cancelled in advance to allow for the project, and there's no question as to whether it's needed.

"Asphalt has a shorter life than concrete and obviously concrete's far more expensive to put down to start with, so asphalt just needs replacing like your roads do."