Politics & Government

Bradley International Airport Recognized for Its Efforts Keeping Open During Winter Storms

The airport saw more than 86 inches of snow this winter, the second most in its history.

Bradley International Airport’s maintenance and operations crews are being recognized for how they handled the snow during the past winter.

The airport received the Balchen/Post Award Wednesday at the 45th Annual International Aviation Snow Symposium in Buffalo, N.Y. Bradley was given the award for a medium commercial airport.

Eric Waldron, airport administrator, said during all of the snow events, there were only two hours of unplanned closures for Bradley. The airport competed with 38 others for the award, Waldron said.

“It’s a big honor,” Waldron said. “I’m thrilled for the crews.”

It is the 35th year the awards have been given out. Airport operators submit applications on behalf of local crews in recognition of keeping the airports operationally safe at all times.

The airport saw the second most amount of snow in its history. There were 18 snow/ice events from Nov. 8 through April 1, with January 11 and 12 seeing 24 inches, officials said.

According to National Weather Service data, Bradley saw a total of 86. 4 inches for the season, second only to 1993-94 when 107.1 inches fell,  John Wallace, airport spokesman, said.

Rollin Tebbetts, airport operations manager, said making sure all of the snow and ice are removed takes the work and coordination of the whole airport operations staff, which totals more than 50 people.

Gregory Jefferson, transportation general supervisor for Bradley, said while it wasn’t the most snow this year, it was the worst for crews to deal with.

“This is the first year I remember shoveling snow off the roof,” Jefferson said. “We had drifts over the security fence.”

Roger N. Butler, plant facilities engineer, said the year was extraordinary and that the airport went about $700,000 over its annual $2.4 million snow removal budget.

Butler said the snow removal crews worked a lot of hours and were very dedicated. The snows are emergencies, he added.

“You keep the airport operating,” Butler said. “You keep it safe.”

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