There’s No Business Like Snow Business

DENVER – Oct. 20, 2021 – Although snow hasn’t started falling yet in the Denver metro area, winter is coming and Denver International Airport (DEN) is prepared. With more than 300 pieces of snow removal equipment, DEN’s award‐winning team is ready to tackle the snow on both the airfield and the roadways.

“We have an extremely dedicated team that works around the clock during snow events to keep our runways and roadways safe and clear and the airport operational,” said DEN CEO Phil Washington. “Our employees train and work year‐round to prepare for the snow season and they have proven to be one of the best snow teams in the nation.”

The airport is responsible for maintaining a safe operating area for aircraft by clearing runways, taxiways and other surfaces, and for travelers by clearing roadways and parking lots. To put it into perspective, DEN is the largest airport in North America spanning 34,000 acres (53 square miles). Below is an overview of DEN’s snow award‐winning program:

• Six runways; five are 12,000 feet long and 150 feet wide, one is 16,000 feet long and 200 feet wide
• 30 acres of parking lots with more than 44,255 parking spots – equivalent to more than 23 football fields
• Approximately 300 miles of roadway – longer than the distance from Denver to the Utah border
• 325 pieces of snow removal equipment
• Multi‐function machinery (plows, sweeps and blows snow, and spreads liquid products at the same) has reduced average time to clear a runway from 45 minutes to under 15 minutes, one of the fastest times in the nation
• Two types of snow‐melters are used on the ramp areas – one can melt 600 tons of snow per hour and the other can melt 150 tons per hour
• Earned the Northeast Chapter of the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE) Balchen‐Post award in 2021 and 2020 for outstanding snow and ice removal while maintaining airport operations during challenging winter conditions.

In addition to keeping our runways clear and open for air travel, DEN crews clear and maintain Peña Blvd. from I‐70 to the airport. Even though DEN crews work around the clock to plow and treat Peña Blvd., it is important for motorists to be prepared for the winter weather as well and give our plows room to do their job.

During any snowstorm, travelers should check their flight status with their airline prior to heading to the airport and give themselves extra time to get to DEN. For more travel tips and airport information, visit FlyDenver.com.

Denver International Airport is one of the busiest airports in the world. DEN is the primary economic engine for the state of Colorado, generating more than $36 billion for the region annually. For more information visit www.FlyDenver.com, check us out on YouTube and Instagram, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Sign up for DEN’s monthly newsletter Nonstop News.

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