When we arrive at AomoriAirport’s terminal building to meet with the airport director, the board hanging behind the information counters near the first floor entrance shows numerous flights have been canceled. With the entire surrounding area covered in white and snow falling steadily everywhere, one’s first thought might be that the weather is the culprit. But in fact, this is far from the case. For as long as this airport has been in operation, not one flight has ever been canceled due to the accumulation of snow, despite the fact that it sees the most snowfall of any airport in Japan and more than most airports in the world. The cancellations today, it turns out, were a result of record amounts of snowfall in Tokyo and other regions that send regular flights here.
“Over the 50 years this airport has been open, a failure to clear snow has never resulted in a flight cancellation,” says Masato Kanazawa, the airport director.
The key to this achievement is a snow removal team the airport calls “White Impulse.” Since more snow falls in Aomori than in any other prefecture in Japan, with an average accumulation of 669 cm (21 feet 11 inch) in 2011, a major effort is needed to keep transportation systems, such as trains and roads functioning smoothly. The airport, in the city of Aomori, is certainly no exception, with over a meter falling on its grounds in the same year.
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