Storm Goretti hit the Castle Donington, Derbyshire area on January 8th, with initially around 15-16cm of snow. But thanks to the winter plan involving six Compact Jet Sweepers and a Supra Snow Cutter Blower which had been developed with Aebi Schmidt during summer training, the onsite team were able to keep the airport fully functional and opened on time for the first flights at 6.00am, the first in the region to do so.
Martin Lindsay, Head of Airport Fire and Rescue at East Midlands, said that watching the team at work in echelon, moving the snow from taxiways and aprons quickly and efficiently, as well as the runways themselves, had been a “very positive experience.”
“Storm Goretti has been our biggest challenge this winter but the Aebi Schmidt equipment and our snow clearance plan worked brilliantly. Particularly impressive was the Supra Snow Cutter Blower which is a superb piece of equipment capable of handling huge amounts of snow.
“Our operatives became more and more confident as they worked through the night in echelon and to our operational plan, and it has taken our snow-clearing capabilities at the airport to another level.”
Five-year framework agreed
In 2024, Aebi Schmidt was successfully awarded a five-year framework contract, with the option to extend for a further two years, as the sole supplier of snow clearing and de-icing equipment to Manchester Airports Group (MAG).
East Midlands Airport had a requirement to replace its ageing fleet of snow removal equipment, which was no longer suitable for an airport of such strategic importance. The MAG team evaluated a number of solutions and ultimately selected the Schmidt Compact Jet Sweeper (CJS) due to its proven performance and popularity with operators. Key features include its highly manoeuvrable four-wheel steering system, intuitive user interface, and versatility across all airside areas, from runway to aircraft stands.
Following a detailed study of the airport’s priority zones and required clearance times, Aebi Schmidt developed a bespoke snow clearance plan consisting of six CJS units and a Supra 5002 Snow Cutter Blower.
And, in a competition involving 600 local children and featured on the BBC’s East Midlands Today programme, the new equipment has been given names including Edward Blizzard Hands, Snowbin Hood, SnowMAGeddon, Clearopathra, Snow-be-gone Kenobi, Plowasaurus Rex and Scoopy-Doo!
Video courtesy of BBC East Midlands Today. Used with permission.
Evaluation phase
During the project evaluation phase, key MAG stakeholders visited Aebi Schmidt’s airport equipment production facility in St. Blasien, located in Germany’s Black Forest. The visit provided the opportunity to meet the wider Product Management and R&D teams, view machines at various stages of assembly, and undertake practical driving demonstrations at the dedicated test facility.
The flexibility and compact nature of the CJS made it particularly well suited to the layout of East Midlands Airport. Aebi Schmidt recommended a wider 6.4m plough and 4.9m brush configuration, reducing the number of machines required while improving operational efficiency. This enhanced capability enabled the runway to be cleared within 24 minutes.
The new fleet integrates seamlessly with two existing CJS units operated by DHL at the airport, which are assigned to clearing extensive cargo areas. This joined-up approach has ensured high resilience during snow events and allowed operational flexibility, with vehicles capable of being deployed across multiple roles as required.
The fleet was delivered ahead of the 2025/26 winter season, with Aebi Schmidt commissioning the equipment and delivering comprehensive training to both technical and operational teams so that they were ready for the winter weather – and the worst of Storm Goretti! With the new equipment, training and snow plan now firmly in place, the airport is well prepared when the next winter storm rolls in.