57 AirportImprovement.com November | December 2026 WINTER OPERATIONS APA Smith is especially excited about the new efficiencies. “Our previous plow setup included a 2023 trailer, which was outfitted on a 2011 truck. That vehicle could not keep up during a heavy snowstorm,” he remarks. “We can now clear our airfield much faster.” With a maintenance staff of only six people, productivity is imperative. “With the previous setup, the operator would have to return to the maintenance facility and switch into a different vehicle when changing equipment. The process of having to return to the building and then change vehicles was inefficient,” Smith explains. The cabs of the new multi-function vehicles include modern electronic controls, an adjustable heater, air conditioning and heated seats. New LED lighting improves visibility for drivers. “Our guys have to work throughout a snowstorm; we do not have shifts,” Smith relates. “So it is important that the cabs are comfortable for the driver.” Equipment dealer O.J. Watson provided a full day of training when the first new vehicle was delivered in fall 2024, before it snowed. “We did a practice run on dry pavement so our guys got a feel for the steering, and the functions of all the buttons,” Smith says. When the second vehicle was delivered a few months later, crew members only needed a brief refresher session, which was also performed on dry pavement. “With the new machine, we have two separate, independent engines. One engine powers the truck and plow, and the second engine powers the broom and blower,” Smith relates. “If feasible, maintenance staff have the flexibility to unhook the broom and plow separately.” When Every Second Counts While all airport users will benefit from faster airfield maintenance during winter, it is especially significant for medevac providers. “They need to take off or land as quickly as possible,” Smith emphasizes. Last year, APA supported 6,107 lifesaving flights—a noteworthy average of 16.7 medevac operations per day. Air ambulance tenants and services based at APA and elsewhere that provide emergency medical flights throughout the region depend on the airport’s operational readiness to support their lifesaving missions, even during nasty winter storms. For instance, iCare Ambulance transferred approximately 2,700 critical patients and transplant organs between APA and area hospitals last year alone. “Centennial Airport plays a vital role in the chain of survival by connecting nearly 16 million people across surrounding states to the expert care provided by Denver’s specialty hospitals,” said Ryan Holland, chief of iCare Ambulance LLC, in a press release earlier this year about APA’s new snow removal machines. Children’s Hospital Colorado bases two aircraft at the airfield and transports 700 to 750 patients to its hospital and other facilities throughout the region every year. Flight for Life Colorado, the first critical care transport program in the United States, is another key tenant. It bases two medically configured turboprops at the airport (one active, one for back- up) and conducts about 720 fixed-wing arrivals and departures annually. Several other emergency services operate out of APA, including AirLife, Peak Medevac, HealthONE and Air Methods. Let it Snow To prepare for the arrival of its large new multi-function vehicles, the airport expanded its storage building for snow removal equipment. The $4.5 million project, which also added a rest area for crew members, was completed in February 2024. Like the vehicle
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