Winter operations: This is how we do it at Oslo Airport

Oslo Airport was well-prepared for this winter’s first major snowfall.

At Oslo Airport, around 325 people waited for the first major snowfall to properly kick off the winter season. These 325 people are important elements in ensuring that the airport can keep traffic running. They are responsible for keeping runways and taxiways clear of snow in the winter so that air traffic can proceed as normally as possible. The goal is to prevent the airport from having to shut down due to snowfall and maintain normal operations as far as possible.

When the snow falls, three snow-clearing crews with a total of 37 machines swing into action, clearing runways and taxiways, as well as other aircraft movement areas. One runway is closed and cleared together with adjacent areas first, before the snow-clearing procession moves to the next runway. They keep on until the snow stops falling.

“It’s better to have one runway open for traffic at all times, than to close the entire airport while the snow is cleared. Capacity will naturally be somewhat reduced while we clear, but it will still be possible to take off and land here. That said, if a huge amount of snow falls in a short space of time, such as this past weekend, snow removal is even more challenging,” says Thomas Toftevåg, section head for ground maintenance at Oslo Airport.

“Shutdowns can be necessary in the event of extreme weather, such as the freezing rain we experienced between Christmas and New Year’s, when both runways were briefly closed. Fortunately, we were able to reopen within a short time. Closing for extended periods due to the weather is rare, and we’ve only had to shut down completely three times in 16 years due to weather conditions.”

Small changes
In the run-up to the previous winter season, Oslo Airport opened more than 600,000 square metres of new aircraft movement areas. This completely changed the snow-clearing pattern compared to before.

“We had to take a large number of new factors into consideration last year, and there have been only minor adjustments this season. We’ve learned from the good experiences from previous seasons, while we have worked on certain improvements for this season,” he says before underlining:

“Even if we’re good at winter operations, there’s always room for improvements.”

Good preparations are the key
Toftevåg isn’t bragging when he claims that the airport has a solid track record in winter operations. Several major international airports have been on study visits to see how the airport handles large amounts of snow, precisely because Oslo has succeeded in keeping traffic moving, even on days with heavy snowfall. 

“At Oslo Airport, we are committed to preparing well and are ready to tackle this year's first major snowfall. We started preparations for this year's winter even while the previous winter season was winding down, and have worked all summer and autumn to refine our winter operations concept and to be ready. All machines undergo service and any possible repairs of minor damage. Some machines are also modified to improve performance and meet our HSE requirements,” explains Toftevåg.

“During the autumn we held numerous dry runs to ensure that all personnel have their duties down pat before the heavy snowfalls arrive,” says Toftevåg.

Always a certain amount of excitement
The season is in full swing at Oslo Airport, and despite thorough preparations there was a certain level of tension among the snow-clearing crews before the first snow fell.

“The nature of what we do is exciting, as we are always fighting the forces of nature. Will the snowfall be light, will there be a lot of heavy snow, icy conditions or freezing rain? There is always healthy excitement about the season's first winter challenges, but we are well prepared and will do what we can to deliver efficient and good service this season too,” concludes Toftevåg.