Click here to view image gallery featuring SDF’s snow fighting equipment.
Nearly $14 million invested since 2019 for snow fighting operations
The Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF) is always open, even during harsh winter weather conditions. Ranked no. 6 in the world – and third in North America – for busiest cargo airports, it’s essential the airport team is prepared to handle whatever comes their way thanks to Old Man Winter. As part of these preparations, the Louisville Regional Airport Authority has invested nearly $14 million in snow removal equipment since 2019.
“SDF plays a key role on the global cargo stage with millions of pounds of cargo coming and going on our runways each year,” said Dan Mann, Executive Director of the Louisville Regional Airport Authority. “It’s crucial that our airfield is always ready for our passenger and cargo partners. We must be prepared, no matter the weather conditions outside.”
More than half of the nearly $14 million investment is attributed to the addition of nine, state-of-the-art MB2 multi-use vehicles that are considered industry leaders when it comes to snow removal operations. Each features a 24-foot plow, 22-foot broom and 400 mph air blast system that can be controlled by a single operator. This reduces time spent clearing snow from the runways and taxiways by as much as 50%. With such a time savings, it means more aircraft can take off and land on-time during winter weather events at SDF.
The nine MB2 snow vehicles complement a fleet of more than 35 various pieces of equipment used in SDF’s snow fighting efforts. This includes a newly purchased high-capacity snow blower and a 4,000-gallon liquid deicer truck, combining for an investment of $2 million. There are more than 17 miles of taxiways and runways, ranging from 75 to 150-feet wide and 10 miles of airfield roadways the SDF team clears during winter weather events.
The Airport Authority also invested $4.2 million constructing an 18,000 square foot facility to house its snow-fighting fleet that opened in 2022. With 12 dual-door storage bays, the new facility holds nine MB2 multi-use vehicles and three snow blowers, with the possibility of additional equipment as space allows. It also provides a full wash bay to clean and prepare the equipment for the next snow fighting event.
Click here to view 2024-2025 Winter Weather Fact Sheet for SDF and Bowman Field.
