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Watch our video: How Helsinki Airport prepares for snow

Article published
20.11.2014 at 12:50
Archived
Snowplow machines on snowy day.
People & Aviation
Maintenance of Helsinki Airport’s runways continues around the clock. If this is necessary, airport employees hop into a snow plough to keep things smooth at night.

The airport’s 16 large snow ploughs, snowblowers, brush blowers, and dozens of other vehicles are washed, repaired, and serviced around the clock, every day of the year. As necessary, spare parts for vehicles are even manufactured in the maintenance team’s in-house workshop.

In late November, there is no snow at Helsinki Airport, but everything is ready. The vehicles wear snow tyres, and the equipment has all been checked: it's ready for operation.

- We work with great pride and professionalism, the maintenance staff say in one voice.

The goal is to keep the airport open without interruption, 24 hours a day, whatever the weather conditions. Finns have extensive expertise of maintaining runways. So airport personnel from many and varied countries have come here to learn from the experts over the years.