The Different Ways In Which Airports Address The Challenges Posed By Snow

Nov 29, 2023

Airports plan winter snow removal months in advance.

For many parts of the Northern Hemisphere, the 2022/2023 winter was mild compared to previous years. Despite this, airport managers know they must prepare well in advance for winter seasons as you never know what mother nature can throw at you.

Much like keeping the roads open so that vehicle traffic can get from point A to point B, airports have plans in place to deal with snow and ice. Thanks to specialist equipment and chemicals, airports can keep their runways clear of such contamination so that aircraft can safely take off and land.

Generally speaking, as soon as the chance of receiving more snow and ice lessens, airports will assess how they performed and start planning for the following winter. Airports must be ready for winter weather and work with suppliers and contractors to ensure they have all the equipment and chemicals to do the job.

They also need to organize staffing levels to ensure they have enough workers for when the bad weather hits. Besides having enough employees for the job, airports must teach new personnel, so they know what they will be required to do. This involves training which usually begins in October in preparation for early winter snow storms.

As Finland lies on the same northern latitude as Nunavut, Canada, Helsinki Airport (HEL) knows a thing or two about snow removal. Finnish airport operator Finavia can clear an 11,500 feet long, 180 feet wide runway of snow in 13 minutes.

To accomplish this, they use powerful Vammas PSB 5500 sweeper blowers, specially built for use at Finish airports. The monster snow plows can remove any snow from the runway, and potent 1,500 hp snowblowers shoot the snow in the air, where it lands 164 feet away.

Smaller snow-removing equipment like the snow plows you see on highways are also used to remove snow, and loaders then fill dump trucks with snow to transport it to an area far away from the runway. This prevents it from blowing back on the runway by the wind.

Once the runway is clear of snow, special rigged trucks with 82-foot booms spread chemicals on the runway to melt ice. The most commonly used products for this purpose are:

Despite all the heavy specialist equipment, standard four-wheel drive SUVs are one of the most crucial airport vehicles. Winter maintenance crews use them to measure the friction on the runway's surface and to access all parts of the airport.

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As new technology is developed, airport ground crews always consider making snow-clearing operations more efficient. One of the most significant aids is advanced weather forecasting. By using GPS tracking and live radar feeds, airport managers can have all the staff and equipment ready and in place for when the storm strikes.

Not all airports are as well geared up for snow removal as Helsinki, and there are times when many of them cannot cope and have to close. However, with proper planning, teams, and equipment, most snow-prone airports are ready to deal with winter conditions.

Journalist - Mark is an experienced travel journalist having published work in the industry for more than seven years. His enthusiasm for aviation news and wealth of experience lends itself to some excellent insight, with his work cited in Forbes amongst other publications. Based in Alicante, Spain.