A Guidebook for Airport Winter Operations (2015)

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1 Winter weather has the potential to disrupt operations at airports of all sizes; a particularly harsh 2013–2014 winter season across the United States again illustrated the importance of pre- paring for, operating during, and recovering from severe winter events. Inadequate investment in preparation for these types of events can result in potentially serious safety issues or frequent airport closures. Understanding that safety is paramount, the level of investment in an airport winter operations program must be balanced by the significant financial costs of the program. This is the challenging reality for airport operators. Unilateral decisions on the level of airport investment in winter operations can be a source of conflict between airport operators and their stakeholders, particularly tenant air carriers. For example, an airport operator choosing the minimum levels of snow removal equipment (SRE) described in FAA Advisory Circular (AC) 150/5200-30C, Airport Winter Safety and Operations, and AC 150/5220-20, Airport Snow and Ice Control Equipment, may contribute to flight delays and cancellations that financially impact air carriers and their passengers. The FAA Office of Investment Planning and Analysis (IP&A) estimated the 2014 operating cost of a delayed pas- senger aircraft to be $82.66 per minute, and the 2014 value of time for a delayed business pas- senger to be $1.05 per minute with flight cancellations posing even greater costs (1). Conversely, airport operators choosing to invest hundreds of thousands and even millions of dollars in SRE and equipment operators to minimize flight delays and cancellations may increase costs to air carriers if the equipment is funded through rates and charges. Achieving stakeholder buy-in on winter operations investment decisions requires active engagement of airport stakeholders during pre-season planning and continuing throughout the winter season. This engagement enables the definition and maintenance of mutually agreeable, predictable cost and winter operations performance expectations. Collecting and evaluating performance data during and at the conclusion of each winter season can define unanticipated operational shortfalls and facilitate informed decision making on potential additional invest- ments necessary to meet mutual expectations. This collaborative, data-driven approach to meeting expectations can assist with determining and maintaining a dynamic, optimal level of investment in winter operations. 1.1 Guidebook Objectives The first objective of this guidebook is to provide a process for identifying the optimal level of investment needed to prepare for, operate during, and recover from disruptive win- ter events, as well as manage airport passenger expectations. There are numerous guidance documents available within the industry. Many are in the form of FAA ACs and ACRP guide- books that focus on aspects of an airport winter operation program, and many of these are C H A P T E R 1 Introduction

2 A Guidebook for Airport Winter Operations highlighted throughout this guidebook. However, none specifically addresses how to achieve this objective. (Note that the ACRP report cover images throughout this guidebook are linked to the PDFs of the actual reports themselves. Simply click on a cover image to navigate to these PDFs.) The second objective of this guidebook is to present summarized airside and landside win- ter operations best practices identified during research conducted in preparation for writing this guidebook. These best practices represent potential strategic and tactical opportunities to improve winter operations performance and, as such, support the first objective. Best practices are presented in Chapters 8 through 11, as described below. Additionally, some best practices are highlighted in other chapters as call-out boxes, and are presented adjacent to directly relevant chapter text. 1.2 Guidebook Organization This guidebook is organized around the concept that a winter operations program can be structured using a management system approach, a framework of strategies and tactics (defined as processes and procedures) to achieve winter operations goals and objectives. Management systems also strive to achieve continuous improvement. The chapters are grouped by recurring airport winter operations program phase including: • Operations planning, • Strategy and tactic implementation, • Performance evaluation, and • Improvement opportunity identification. Figure 1-1 illustrates the four phases, which resemble the common management system phases of Plan-Do-Check-Act. A similar figure appears at the introduction to each chapter highlighting the applicable phase addressed by the chapter. Readers can proceed directly to the guidebook chapters most relevant to the winter operations program phase they are currently in and apply Figure 1-1. The guidebook organization is based on a management system approach to winter operations.

Introduction 3 the concepts presented therein. However, Chapters 2 through 5 establish the foundation for a strong winter operations program and should not be overlooked. A description of each chapter is provided below. 1.2.1 Operations Planning Chapter 2 Chapter 2 presents three essential elements that set a foundation for successful and industry- recognized winter operations programs—effective communication, collaboration, and coordi- nation within an airport operator’s organization and among its winter operations stakeholders. It encourages identifying the range of stakeholders that may be impacted by, or may impact, winter operations, and it presents the characteristics that make up effective communication, collaboration, and coordination. Chapter 3 Chapter 3 identifies the requirements for certificated airports to prepare, maintain, and carry out a snow and ice control plan (SICP). Airport operators subject to these requirements are referred by regulation to ACs that contain methods and procedures for snow and ice control equipment, materials, and removal that are acceptable to the FAA Administrator. The chapter identifies ACs directly applicable, or applicable in part, to airport winter operations and sum- marizes the purpose of each AC. Chapter 4 Chapter 4 presents a discussion of environmental laws and regulations, focusing on those intended to protect stormwater runoff quality from typical airport winter operations. This discus- sion addresses various permits, permitting requirements, and guidance on interpreting permit con- ditions. It concludes with a discussion of airport deicer management system design, components, and operation as a means to achieve stormwater permit compliance. Chapter 5 Chapter 5 presents an approach for characterizing and understanding the range of meteoro- logical conditions associated with winter storm events common to an airport’s regional geog- raphy. It discusses various meteorological data sources and presents guidance on manipulating data to conduct frequency analyses in order to define winter event conditions. Once the recur- rence intervals for the winter storm events are summarized and defined, the information can offer perspective on past winter operations performance. This information can also assist airport operators and stakeholders with setting performance expectations under threshold winter-event conditions, as described in Chapter 7. Chapter 6 Chapter 6 presents a framework for establishing a winter operations performance manage- ment system that will enable more informed decision making when it comes to investing in a winter operations program. The chapter also provides guidance on how to set clear performance goals and objectives. Chapter 7 Chapter 7 describes how to develop a performance and cost baseline for airport winter opera- tions, and a cost baseline based on delay costs for air carriers and passengers. This cost and delay information can be used, as will be described in Chapters 13 and 14, to evaluate potential opportunities for improvement and select from a list of potential improvement alternatives.

4 A Guidebook for Airport Winter Operations The chapter also describes the need to establish threshold winter-event conditions that define the expectations of the airport operator and its stakeholders, and that will be used to set perfor- mance targets. 1.2.2 Strategy and Tactic Implementation Chapters 8 through 11 Chapter 8 presents the best practices related to winter operations in general accordance with the contents of AC 150/5200-30C, Chapter 1, “Introduction.” Chapter 9 presents best practices related to the contents of AC 150/5200-30C, Chapter 2, “Snow and Ice Control Plan.” Chapter 10 presents best practices related to the contents of AC 150/5200-30C, Chapter 3, “Snow Clear- ing Operations and Preventive Measures,” and Chapter 4, “Snow Clearing Operations and Ice Prevention.” Chapter 11 concludes the presentation of best practices by presenting those related to the contents of AC 150/5200-30C, Chapter 5, “Runway Surface Assessment and Reporting.” 1.2.3 Performance Evaluation Chapter 12 Chapter 12 presents a structured and systematic winter operations performance evaluation process that relies upon documented performance measurement data. It also provides a detailed process for evaluating significant performance shortfalls. The chapter will enable factually sup- ported decision making about winter operations strategies, tactics, and procedures that are meeting established performance targets and those that are falling short. 1.2.4 Improvement Opportunity Identification Chapter 13 Chapter 13 presents a process focused specifically on reducing runway occupancy time by SRE (a common winter operations performance measure) by identifying a snow removal capacity shortfall and potential alternative(s) to meet performance targets set by the air- port operator and its stakeholders (see Chapter 7). The process uses equations presented in AC 150/5220-20 and provides guidance on estimating equipment needs. Chapter 13 also provides guidance on estimating the benefits of an investment in new or additional SRE to reduce runway occupancy time. This includes a comparison of baseline performance costs for airport operations and baseline delay costs for air carriers and passengers described in Chapter 7 compared to estimated costs associated with the investment in new or additional SRE. The results of this process can facilitate informed alternatives selection, as described in Chapter 14. Chapter 14 Chapter 14 presents high-level considerations for selecting from multiple potential alterna- tives to reduce or eliminate performance shortfalls. The selection processes described in this chapter can be used for minor and major investments. 1.3 Guidebook Limitations and Disclaimer The term “best practice” used herein denotes a practice that was identified as being highly effective at one or more airports that have fully implemented it. However, in many instances it may not be possible or practicable to implement a particular best practice at a specific airport.

Introduction 5 Readers should be aware that because the guidebook’s focus is on best practices, standard indus- try practices associated with winter operations were typically not included. Therefore, this guide- book should not be considered to be a comprehensive reference document on airport winter operation practices or associated regulatory requirements. The photographs included in the guidebook are intended as illustrations of equipment and concepts to facilitate the reader’s understanding of presented material. TRB of the National Academies, the National Research Council, and the sponsors of ACRP do not endorse products or manufacturers. Trade or manufacturers’ names appear herein solely because they are consid- ered essential to the object of the guidebook.