Why You Should Consider a Top of the Line Airport Runway Sweeper

Imagine driving down the highway and suddenly popping your tire on a screw, shard of glass, piece of metal, or any other type of debris. You didn’t see it coming and this situation can result in a whole host of devastating endings. In the best case scenario, you’re able to safely pull over and put on a spare tire. Now imagine the same thing happening to an airplane full of 100+ people gaining speed to take off. In this case, it’s not as simple as pulling over and switching out a tire. Keeping runways clear is extremely important for safety and proper functioning of aircraft, which is why every airport needs to be serious about a quality airport runway sweeper.

A small piece of pavement or metal doesn’t seem like a big deal, especially when airplanes are so big in comparison, but they can cause damage and become a safety concern. These objects are called foreign object debris (FOD) and they need to be removed efficiently to keep airports running. There are enough things causing delays in airports; dirty runways don’t need to be part of that list. Since these objects are so small, it can be easy to overlook them and think you don’t need to spend much time or money to keep them clear of the runway, but that thinking can really cost you in more ways than one.

It may seem like a big investment to buy a quality airport runway sweeper, but you can’t put a price on the safety of the souls on board planes. This is also a case where paying a little now will save huge bucks later. The amount of money it would take to fix a damaged plane (that is if the damage is even able to be fixed) far outweighs the cost of keeping runways clean in the first place. When you think about the safety and the cost combined, it’s easy to see that this is a not a place you want to skimp and buy a cheaper alternative. In fact, FOD costs well over $1 billion/year in both direct and indirect costs.

In addition, if you’re worried about the cost of removing FOD from the runway, you also need to think about the cost of labor and the time it takes to clear the runway. A quicker and more efficient machine will allow you to cut down on labor costs and get planes on and off the runway more quickly, which can result in more profit.

There are many ways to save money in business, and it’s not always necessary to have the best of everything, but that can’t be the attitude you have when it comes to safety. A machine that quickly and efficiently clears the runway is the best and most logical option.