London Gatwick Airport (LGW) has reinforced its defences against the coming winter months with the introduction of an upgraded vehicle fleet, alongside months of planning and training.
The Airport has recently performed a number of live exercises and runway clearance drills in order to best prepare for any complications this festive period, investing 17 million GBP into keeping the site running smoothly.
Having completed over 5000 combined hours of winter operations training, staff have undertaken days of classroom learning alongside practical equipment training and a series of refresher courses.
Over 450 colleagues are tasked with supporting LGW’s winter operations across its airfield, engineering and fire service teams, ensuring the airport runs efficiently in the event of snow, ice or fog.
Included in the 450 are 180 ‘Polar Bears’, volunteers trained to operate snow-clearance vehicles and 50 landside “Yetis”, responsible for gritting and clearing 27 miles of airport roads, car parks and transport routes, keeping passengers safe.
The Airport operates a total of 75 dedicated airside winter vehicles, including snow ploughs, sweepers, multihogs, tractors and de-icers, all of which are supported by a full fleet of landside gritters and clearance machinery.
Adding to this; LGW recently acquired six new Compact Jet Sweepers and two electric de‑icers, which aim to provide faster clearance, greater greater manoeuvrability and advanced ploughing technology.
Mark Johnston, Chief Operating Officer at London Gatwick said:Winter can bring unpredictable challenges for the aviation industry and our top priority remains on keeping our airfield operating safely and efficiently.
By planning ahead and equipping our teams with the right training and tools, alongside the work of our airline partners and ground handling agents, we ensure passengers can travel with confidence, even in the busiest and most challenging conditions of the season.
From our dedicated snow‑clearance teams to the upgraded fleet of vehicles, every measure is designed to minimise disruption and keep flights moving through the colder months ahead.
The Airport’s winter readiness programme is managed in-house, allowing for rapid response and full operational control.
