Avoiding another fiasco

It was an odd and likely rare situation, but a recent snafu with de-icing equipment at Minot International Airport will lead to changes that will benefit additional state airports.

During the Veterans Day weekend storm that blanketed northwest North Dakota with several inches of snow and ice, both de-icing trucks at Minot’s airport broke down, forcing the cancellation of several flights and leaving angry passengers unable to leave Minot for at least a couple of days.

Officials with DGS, the company owned by Delta that handles de-icing equipment, said they plan to have a third de-icing truck stationed in Minot that could also be moved for use at other airports served by Delta if necessary. But having a third truck stationed in Minot would be a welcome backup plan for the usual two de-icing trucks based in Minot.

Having both de-icing trucks break down at the same time again is an unlikely occurrence, but it’s certainly a good idea to station a third truck at Minot anyway. The airport continues to set records for passenger boardings, and having planes grounded for a weekend was unacceptable. Everyone involved already knows that, of course, but we’re glad decisions have been made to provide another de-icing equipment option to ensure flights stay on schedule at the hectic Minot International Airport.

Tags: opinion, editorials, airport