Due to its operating duties the airport is obliged to remain open during operating hours. This means it is responsible for clearing the snow and the de-icing. The winter season has extremely high fixed costs.
The airport ramp employees need just 20 minutes to clear snow off the runway. This is done if there is more than 5mm of snow on the runway, which then takes top priority. The taxiway and apron are also freed from snow. First of all the snow is cleared off the runway. Any snow not removed by the snow plough is sucked up by the cutter blowers and then blown to the side of the runway. The snow walls at the edge of the runway are blown (hurled) by a snow blower (900 hp) about 40 meters away from the runway.
De-icing of operational surfaces
The airport takes care of the mechanical clearing of the snow with ploughs and cutter blowers and also the chemical de-icing of operational surfaces and aircraft. Urea, chemical de-icing fluid which are 100% bio-degradable.
Vehicles
Every airport owns snow ploughs, snow blowing machines, snow cutters and runway liquid de-icers.
At Salzburg Airport the clearing of the snow is done by 8 so-called Winter Service Units. Each unit has a truck with a plough and snow blower. All 8 units are put to work at the same time.
Ice warning system
There is a black ice warning system which checks the constant temperature of the ground and air through a sensitive sensor. The most exact temperature can be measured in the take-off and landing area of the runway. This information makes it possible to use the ground de-icing chemicals in an extremely environmentally friendly way.
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