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United Cancels Flights, Delays Others As De-Icing Continues At DIA

DENVER (CBS4)- Snow removal and de-icing crews have been working to clear snow and ice from roadways and airplanes at Denver International Airport since early Wednesday morning.

According to DIA's website, United Airlines has canceled 28 arriving flights and 27 departures through Wednesday evening. Many other United flights have been delayed. No other airlines have reported cancellations but have reported some delays.

Pena Boulevard has been cleared and treated to clear the way for drivers, but DIA is urging drivers to slow down and give themselves extra time to get to or from the airport. Several traffic accidents have been reported on Pena Boulevard throughout the morning but nothing serious.

DIA has more than 250 pieces of snow removal equipment and more than 500 trained snow removal personnel.

The airlines are in full de-icing mode, which means passengers can expect to spend a little extra time on the aircraft prior to departure. De-icing is expected to continue throughout the day.

DIA has one of the most sophisticated de-icing systems in the world.

"Yesterday and today are the first times we've been able to fully deploy this system. It's a computer algorithm that helps track exactly where every plane is out here and where they are in the de-icing process. So now it's an automated system from when you push away from the gate to the time you take off. It's going to shave off about three minutes of time if you're sitting on the plane. That equals about $6 million in fuel savings for the airlines," said DIA spokesman Heath Montgomery.

Delays are averaging about one hour and those delays are expected to continue through noon as the storm tapers off. Passengers headed to some East Coast destinations may experience additional delays due to weather in that region.

The parking garages are full so passengers should use the economy lots or the Pikes Peak shuttle lot when they arrive.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FROM DIA:

  • Travelers should check their flight status before leaving for the airport with their airline or on flydenver.com
  • Motorists should drive with caution and allow extra time when heading to the airport. Temperatures will fall overnight and could lead to icy conditions.
  • A good rule of thumb is to be inside the airport two hours prior to flight departure time. This should allow for plenty of time to navigate flight check-in, security lines and travel to the gate.
  • DIA recommends passengers download the free FlySmart travel app for the Blackberry, iPhone and Android. FlySmart Airport is the only travel app that features content downloaded directly from flydenver.com
  • Reserved parking spaces are available in the garages by visiting DIAreservedparking.com
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