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Denver
International Airport Prepared for 2014-2015 Snow Season
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Denver,
CO – October 2014 / Newsmaker Alert / Denver
International Airport is busy preparing for the 2014-2015 snow season
by training snow-removal crews, testing equipment and reviewing plans.
DIA’s
snow preparations actually begin long before the flakes start to fall.
In August, DIA’s snow-removal crews tested their skills at the airport’s
annual “Snow Roadeo,” which includes obstacles that test operators’ abilities
to maneuver their vehicles by simulating roadway barriers or hazards. Early
this morning, those same drivers put months of training to the test by
performing a “dry run” that included driving the same routes on DIA’s runways
that they will use this snow season. Drivers practiced clearing all six
of the airport’s runways.
“DIA’s
employees are dedicated to safely and efficiently maintaining airport operations
in all types of weather and conditions,” said airport CEO Kim Day. “Our
investments in equipment, training and new technology have created efficiencies
and cost savings for the airlines and the airport alike.”
DIA’s
snow-removal assets include:
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500 trained
snow-removal personnel
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Approximately
270 pieces of snow equipment, including:
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Blowers,
brooms, blades, plows, sanders, snow melters, 4,000-gallon chemical trucks,
loaders with box plows, tractor-plows, liquid spreaders, multi-function
equipment, bobcats and more
-
A combination
of solid and liquid deicers are used to treat landside pavement (such as
Peña Boulevard)
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Potassium
acetate is used to treat runway and taxiway paved surfaces
DIA
snow-removal crews are responsible for:
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Six runways
-
Five runways
are 12,000 feet long and 150 feet wide, and one is 16,000 feet long and
200 feet wide (the longest commercial runway in North America) for a total
of 12.2 million square feet
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More than
40,000 parking spaces
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Approximately
240 lane miles and 30 acres of parking lots
-
All of
Peña Boulevard and adjacent roads on airport property
Following
the blizzard of December 2006 – which saw snow drifts towering more than
6-feet tall in places – DIA revamped its snow-removal procedures to include
prioritizing snow removal routes and invested in new multi-function equipment
that is able to clear runways and other paved surfaces more quickly and
efficiently. The changes helped reduce the average amount of time it takes
to fully clear one runway from as much as 45 minutes in 2006 to about 15
minutes today.
Last
fall, DIA deployed the state-of-the-art Saab Sensis Aerobahn Surface Management
System that provides airport operations managers with real-time information
about aircraft deicing operations. The system uses sensors that provide
precise aircraft positions on the airfield to more efficiently manage aircraft
traffic throughout the deicing process. The new system|–|which
will be fully utilized for the first time this winter – is estimated to
save each departing aircraft 2.6 minutes in deicing time, which amounts
to a total of about $5.8 million in fuel savings for the airlines.
DIA
also has one of the most comprehensive deicing fluid collection and recycling
systems in the world, with an average collection rate of 69 percent of
all fluid applied to aircraft in a typical winter season. By capturing
and recycling deicing fluid, DIA saves approximately $2 million per year
compared to the cost of processing the fluid as wastewater.
Previous
snow totals:
-
• From
October 2013 to May 2014, there were 40 snow events at DIA totaling 38.4
inches of snow
-
• From
October 2012 to May 2013, there were 33 snow events at DIA totaling 78.4
inches of snow
-
• From
October 2011 to May 2012, there were 24 snow events at DIA totaling 55.6
inches of snow
Denver
International Airport is the 15th-busiest airport in the world and
the fifth-busiest airport in the United States. With more than 52 million
passengers traveling through the airport each year, DIA is one of the busiest
airline hubs in the world’s largest aviation market. DIA is the primary
economic engine for the state of Colorado, generating more than $26 billion
for the region annually. For more information visit www.FlyDenver.com,
check us out on YouTube
and Pinterest, like us
on Facebook
and follow us on Twitter.
Media
Contact:
Heath
Montgomery
Director
of Media Relations
303-342-2250
Newsroom |
