De-icing to blame for delays and cancellations at Sawyer International Airport

MARQUETTE — With the rainy, cold weather, comes ice buildup which has caused Sawyer International Airport to cancel a number of flights.

 

 

The Sawyer International Airport cannot use salt, because of the corrosion it can cause to the aircraft.

The airport has been using a new de–icing system that they are buying a little at a time.

They are satisfied with the results of the system, but they did not want to a buy a huge quantity of it; before they saw how it works.

“Last winter the FAA changed how we report the conditions of our runway. Before we used a physical friction measuring device and we could just keep putting sand on it if we had ice out there. Now if we have ice out there, the only way to get the conditions up is to remove the ice,” said  Steve Schenden, Operations Manager.

Sawyer International Airport does plan on purchasing the new de–icing system again and hopes to get it in their budget for next year.

They also want to remind the community that when flights get cancelled or delayed, their main concern is the safety of their passengers.