East Midlands Airport is ready to keep the flights on this winter

With the summer season now behind us, East Midlands Airport is ready for dealing with freezing conditions so customers can still jet off without disruption for their winter breaks.

Planning for the impact of winter weather conditions on airport operations starts in the summer months to ensure that whenever it arrives, a team of Airfield Operations and Airport Fire and Rescue staff is ready to handle anything.

A fleet of 24 vehicles including snow ploughs, de-icing trucks and specially modified tractors have been inspected and serviced, 120,000 litres of de-icer fluid is on hand and training for airfield and fire teams has taken place.

The Airfield Operations team has the equivalent of 100 football pitches of tarmac to keep safe for aircraft movements, including the runway, taxiways and ‘aprons’ where the aircraft stand. The team uses special monitoring equipment during inspections to gauge surface temperatures, as well as using sophisticated weather forecasting systems to monitor the exact air pressure around the airport, the precise level of clouds and more. This all provides an insight into if and when snow is likely to fall.

If all the readings point to surfaces dropping below zero degrees or the likelihood of snowfall, the runway is treated with de-icer fluid, as grit isn’t suitable on airfields, where it can damage aircraft. This prevents the runway from freezing and helps to prevent some snow from building up. Planes that are based at the airport will also be de-iced before being cleared for take-off.

Ultimately, if heavy snow falls, the fleet of snow clearing vehicles will be deployed by a team of up to 28 workers, aiming to get the runway clear and safe for aircraft movements as soon as possible. This requires aircraft to be grounded while the work is underway, but the length of airfield closure is kept as short as possible to minimise the impact on customers.

There are also plenty of roads, pavements and car parks at the airport that need to be kept clear of snow and ice which are treated with grit and salt in the usual way.

Head of Airfield Operations at EMA, Lauren Turner, said: “Safety is our number one priority at the airport and wintry conditions obviously present us with a particular set of challenges every year.

“We have teams on a rota on standby to be deployed if the need arises, and they are fully trained and equipped to deal with ice and snow as quickly as possible so that airfield operations can resume. They work tirelessly through the winter, enduring harsh conditions to keep our operations running smoothly. Their efforts ensure that passengers experience effortless travel and our cargo operations maintain seamless trade at what is often the busiest time of year for global e-commerce.”