Construction of a solid surface runway began in late 1939 and in 1940 it was proposed to extend the existing runway to a length of 1 @,@ 550 yards ( 1 @,@ 417 m ) . The land reclamation commenced towards the end of 1941 along with the construction of an RAF camp at the " North Front " , now RAF Gibraltar . The RAF dispatched their next squadron to Gibraltar at this time and it was in September 1939 that war with Germany was declared and the strong possibility of German submarines concentrating in the Strait of Gibraltar and using Spanish port facilities , loomed large in Admiralty thinking . So at 09 : 00 ( UTC ) on the 9 September 1939 , No. 202 Squadron RAF was ordered to Gibraltar , loaded to the gunwales with equipment .