Massport Prepares Facilities for Upcoming Winter Weather
Safety and security of our passengers and employees is our top priority
BOSTON – With the season’s first snowfall in the forecast, the Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) is preparing Boston Logan International Airport, Worcester Regional Airport, Hanscom Field, the Paul W. Conley Container Terminal, the Flynn Cruiseport Boston, and other maritime facilities for the upcoming winter weather in order to keep operations running smoothly throughout the season.
“We are confident that we are prepared for any upcoming winter weather thanks to our highly trained and experienced staff who have provided us with award-winning snow removal programs at all of our facilities,” said Massport CEO Lisa Wieland. “The safety and security of the tens of millions of passengers who use our facilities each year and our employees are our top priority. We strive to provide passengers with a safe, comfortable and convenient travel experience whatever their transportation needs.”
Over the past decade, Massport and its transportation partners have invested $ billions to improve and modernize our facilities and equip them with the latest time-saving and customer service amenities. During the winter, Logan has more than 100 highly trained and experienced men and women who operate more than 90 specialized pieces of equipment. Logan Airport, Worcester Regional Airport, and Hanscom Field all won Industry Balchen Post awards for snow clean-up efforts in the historic 2015 season and Logan has won the Balchen Post five times in the last 10 years.
“The safety and security of our passengers and airport employees is our number one priority,” said Director of Aviation Ed Freni. “It’s important for us to properly maintain our fleet of equipment and invest in the right tools so we can efficiently respond to whatever mother nature brings and minimize any impact to our passengers and our airport community.”
“The Port of Boston plays a big role in our region’s economy,” said Acting Port Director Mike Meyran. “Maintaining a safe environment is critical to keep operations seamless for our business partners and customers at Conley, the Fish Pier, and other maritime facilities throughout the winter season.
Boston Logan International Airport
- Average snowfall is 45 inches
- Logan has 90 pieces of special snow removal equipment to maintain the majority of the airside and landside.
- This list includes 16 Vammas plows, a high-speed snow removal machine with a 27-foot wide plow blade in front, a 23-foot broom sweeper in the middle, and 450 mph blower in the rear. One additional Vammas will be delivered later this month.
- Massport also has a contract with Aero Snow with more than 100 pieces of equipment to maintain other areas at Logan.
Worcester Regional Airport
- Average snowfall is 64 inches
- 24 pieces of equipment, up from 22 last year.
- The equipment includes loaders, multi-tasking snow vehicles, snowblowers, front-mounted runway brooms, pickup trucks with plows, Oshkosh plow trucks, de-icer trucks, and a dump truck.
- New equipment this year:
- Kubota utility vehicle to clear the sidewalks at the terminal and the areas around the 4 jet bridges.
- Pronovost snowblower for snow removal around airfield signage.
Hanscom Airfield
- 20 pieces of equipment, up from 17 last year.
- The equipment includes loaders, multi-function Oshkosh plows, snowblowers, front-mounted runway brooms, pickup trucks with plows, and Mack plow trucks.
- New equipment this year:
- Two Oshkosh vehicles with plow, broom, and blower capability
- A front-end loader for additional ramp plowing capability.
Maritime facilities
- 26 pieces of equipment that maintain the Conley Terminal, the Flynn Cruiseport, the Fish Pier, and other Massport-owned parks and properties in the Seaport District.
- The equipment includes International plow trucks, front end loaders, and skidsteers
- Maritime also has a contract with Aero Snow and Marchese Construction with 75 pieces of equipment to support all locations.
In the event of a storm, Massport encourages passengers to contact their airline to check flight status or their cruiseline for any itinerary changes.
Follow @BostonLogan, @FlyWorcester, @FlynnCruiseport, and @PortofBos for additional information and advisories.