Louisville airport ready to tackle winter weather with $6 million

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Preparations are already underway for the winter season at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport.

More than $10 million was invested in snow-fighting operations in recent years. Of that money, $6 million was used to buy seven new snow-removal vehicles that can can plow, sweep and blow all at the same time.

It previously took three separate vehicles to do that, and the new equipment cut the time to clear a runway from 45 minutes to about 20 minutes.

“It’s a major investment, but, again, when somebody is waiting for a package — whether it be a vaccine or a piece of equipment to get overseas — every minute counts,” said Dan Mann, executive director of the Louisville Regional Airport Authority. “So you really just can’t afford to have even the slightest of delays. So it’s really vital.”

The Louisville Regional Airport Authority also purchased a new $4.2 million facility to store 37 pieces of snow-removal equipment.