ASHWAUBENON, WI (WTAQ) – Green Bay’s Austin Straubel Airport is a busy place during a winter snowstorm.
Plowing and keeping the runways clear and the planes de-iced is a round the clock operation.
Airport director Tom Miller says surprisingly today’s snowfall hasn’t affected arrivals or departures.
“All flight presently operating in and out of GRB on on time or even arriving early today.”
Making sure commercial and private flights can safely take off and land in this weather becomes a bit more work intensive, because they can’t use the same tools the high and public works departments can.
“The biggest thing that people don’t understand is because of the corrosiveness we can’t use salt on the airfield.”
That means every piece of equipment, from shovels to plows, are being used almost around the clock, as long the snow keeps coming.
“Virtually everything has to be plowed or broomed off in order to get down to bare pavement for the aircraft to land and takeoff.”
Because of the volume of flights coming in and going out of Austin Straubel keeping the runways safe takes some coordination.
“Typically we watch the schedule very closely with the airlines and coordinate with the air traffic control tower.”
But even with all they have going for them to keep the airport open, Miller suggests people picking someone up at the airport, or have their own travel plans, check to make sure the flights are on time.
