We take snow and ice really seriously at the airport, and it’s thanks to the Transport Engineering team and their extensive fleet that we’re well prepared for when winter strikes…
The Transport Engineering team
Tucked away in a remote workshop near the airport, there’s a surprising amount of noise coming from the Transport Engineering team.
Buzzing power tools, roaring engines and clanging metal: the wheels of Gatwick would quite literally come to a halt without this team of 20.
Transport Engineering services, repairs and customises 700 vehicles for use on our airport; and, in the winter, a whole different specialist range of vehicles needs to be ready for the cold – long before we start to feel it.
Luckily, these guys have extensive mechanical, electrical and electronic knowledge to cope with a huge, sometimes random, range of equipment. Our winter fleet alone includes 200 such vehicles. These machines ensure we can do our best to minimise disruptions over the festive period.
How does Transport Engineering prepare for winter?
Major services on the machines begin as early as April.
Work continues with scheduled part replacements to keep key components tip-top. This year we’ll be changing the main runway snow sweeper brushes – worth £3,000 each – which are built to last for more than 100 hours if we need them.
As the weather turns colder, the team prepares and calibrates our de-icing vehicles, ensuring they are ready to prep our roads, aircraft stands, taxiways and, of course, our precious runway. This year, the team have added a helpful blue LED light to our largest de-icing spreaders so that operators can see down the full length of the sprayer arms to make sure the fluid is being sprayed correctly.
Before winter sets in, we test the kit through a series of snow-clearing exercises. When the first snow falls, everyone’s ready to respond and our technicians are on call 24/7 to help with vehicle maintenance.
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