230 flights canceled, hundreds delayed by 1 hour, 45 minutes
Denver International Airport has canceled 230 flights and hundreds of other flights have been delayed by nearly two hours, officials say.
The snowstorm has dropped 5 inches of new snow at DIA and another 3 to 5 inches of snow are expected until the end of the storm at about 1 p.m., according to an 8 a.m. news release by DIA spokeswoman Mindy Crane.
Gusting winds and reduced visibility are adding to the delays. The average delay is about 1 hour and 45 minutes per flight, Crane said. Nearly one out of every six flights or 15 percent have been canceled, she said.
Patrick McNamee is heading to Chicago on a business trip, but so far has been facing mounting delays as he and other passengers wait in a plane stuck on the airport's tarmac.
"We got away from the gate and pulled up to the de-ice pad and we've been sitting here for over an hour," McNamee said in a phone interview from his seat aboard an American Airlines flight.
McNamee said he's been told the runway has to be periodically cleared, which is holding back takeoffs.
"The delays are just building and building and building," he said.
Despite the heavy snow, most flights at DIA have not been canceled, Crane pointed out.
"We're keeping aircraft moving," he said.
Pena Boulevard was briefly closed in both directions at about 5:20 a.m. because of a traffic accident, said Heath Montgomery, DIA spokesman.
That accident was cleared but caused additional backups as snow plows cleared the roads. Motorists should expect winter conditions and plan for extra travel time out to the airport.
"People should definitely check their flights. That's extremely important," Crane said.
Passengers can check their flight status with their airline or atwww.FlyDenver.com.
Snow-removal crews were deployed overnight and remain active for the duration of the snow, Crane said.
Passengers can check their flight status with their airline or atwww.FlyDenver.com.
Snow-removal crews were deployed overnight and remain active for the duration of the snow, Crane said.
DIA has more than 250 pieces of airside snow removal equipment, 110 pieces of equipment for landside parking lots and roadways, and more than 500 trained snow-removal personnel.
The equipment being deployed for this storm includes blowers, brooms, blades, plows, runway sanders, 4,000 gallon chemical trucks, loaders with box plows and snow melters, the news release says.
The airlines are expected to be in full de-icing operations, so passengers should expect to spend a little extra time on the aircraft prior to departure. The average de-icing time is approximately 16 minutes, but can vary based on the type of aircraft.
Kirk Mitchell: 303-954-1206, kmitchell@denverpost.com or @kirkmitchell or denverpost.com/coldcases
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