Denver International Airport released a consultants’ report today highly critical of the airport’s capability of dealing with snowstorms that struck DIA in December.
The report, eight months in the making, said: “The snow events of December 2006 at DIA cost both the airlines and the airport millions of dollars and tarnished the reputation of an otherwise world-class airport.”
It said DIA must develop a new snow-removal program that will keep the airport open during heavy snowfall and “minimize the closure times resulting from ground blizzards.”
In December’s pre-Christmas storm, the airport was shut down for 45 hours.
The recommendations of the consultant call for DIA to acquire multi-function snow-removal machines that plow, broom and blow snow. The airport plans to dedicate teams of such equipment to the east and west side runways.
The report said that DIA’s “inability to remove snow from the air-carrier ramps began a cascade of events that resulted in an extended airport closure.”
The airport plans to use snow melters as a key way of keeping ramps next to the concourses from getting clogged with snow in the future.
The report, prepared by Critical Path Inc. and Landrum & Brown consulting companies, said the airport did not have enough staff to fight the storms that socked DIA in December.
It said the airport did not have enough heated garages to house snow-removal equipment nor did it have enough fueling stations to accommodate the airport snow-removal fleet.
It further said the airport’s storage area for sand and liquid chemicals did not have enough maneuvering room for snow-removal equipment.
Staff writer Jeffrey Leib can be reached at 303-954-1645 or jleib@denverpost.com.
