Airport operations face major challenges during winter weather conditions. The presence of snow, ice, and slush on airport surfaces leads to disrupted flight schedules and poses safety risks during aircraft takeoffs and landings. Crews maintain safe and efficient airport traffic by utilizing powerful equipment such as plows and runway brushes.
United Rotary Brush understands the importance of every part of winter maintenance programs for airport operations. Airport runway brushes deliver the essential finishing touches necessary to produce clean and dry surfaces for aircraft movement after plows perform the primary task of heavy lifting. Winter preparation involves more than equipment because it needs both proper strategy and tools and reliability from trusted products.
Why Plows Alone Aren’t Enough
During winter storms plows act as the primary defense mechanism. For heavy or rapidly accumulating snow events these machines demonstrate high efficiency when clearing deep snow and slush. Plows create residual snow and compacted materials that can freeze quickly and decrease runway friction. Airport runway brooms and brushes take over to complete the snow-clearing process.
Plows drive snow to the sides of runways but brushes follow to eliminate remaining debris and thin snow layers that would refreeze if left untouched. The absence of this follow-up action results in powerful plowing leaving behind slick surfaces that jeopardize aircraft braking and steering capabilities.
The Role of Airport Runway Brushes in Winter Operations
Special engineering enables airport runway brushes to withstand the extreme conditions that prevail on airfields. Airport runway brushes exist to make complete surface contact while eliminating all remaining snow and ice, rubber build-up and de-icing chemicals that plows are unable to remove. Runway brushes use stiff bristles combined with consistent rotational motion to sweep materials from runways without causing pavement damage.
Airport runway brushes mounted behind plows or snowblowers keep the runway surface completely clear and dry. Additional brushing significantly boosts surface friction which plays an essential role in maintaining safe take-offs and landings under winter conditions.
Why Quality Matters in Brush Performance
Maintenance teams operating during snowstorms must rely on their equipment without hesitation. The selection of high-performance and reliable equipment stands as a critical component. United Rotary Brush produces airport runway brushes engineered to withstand sub-zero temperatures and wet conditions through multiple operating cycles.
Our products are created exclusively for the demands of aviation environments unlike general-purpose brushes. The combination of our bristle materials and core designs delivers the strength required for severe usage while ensuring delicate interaction with sensitive airfield surfaces. Our years of experience as an airport runway broom manufacturer have led us to create solutions for reliable snow removal with reduced maintenance requirements through time.

When to Consider Airport Runway Brush Replacement
The best equipment still experiences wear and tear especially when operated heavily throughout the winter season’s peak periods. The decline in brush performance occurs as bristles become shorter and lose their firmness. The airport runway brushes should be replaced when runways fail to clear completely after each pass or when operators observe a rise in uncovered sections.
Operators need to examine brushes to find any uneven wear and any indications of bristle shedding. A routine replacement schedule makes sure sweepers and plows keep up with the demanding requirements of winter operations while delivering top performance.
Our team conducts assessments of your current configuration to suggest appropriate replacement times for brushes or system-compatible new airport runway wafers.
Choosing the Right Partner for Winter Equipment
Airports around North America trust United Rotary Brush as a top manufacturer of airport runway brooms. Our brushes meet OEM specs while performing outstandingly in cold and abrasive environments with wet conditions.
Our product offerings include complete brush types ranging from full-core assemblies to replacement wafers and various bristle configurations designed to meet every application need. When you need to enhance your snow fleet or replace your worn brushes while getting your inventory ready for the next season you will find our expertise and support essential for confident operations.
Conclusion
Any airport maintenance team must prioritize winter preparation as one of their essential duties. The main purpose of a well-cleared runway extends beyond operational efficiency to ensure passenger and aircraft safety. Plows serve an essential purpose but represent just one component of the overall system. Airport brooms deliver smooth, clear and safe surfaces for all aircraft movements after completing the runway maintenance process.
The arrival of winter makes it vital to possess the appropriate equipment combination. Reach out to United Rotary Brush right now to obtain high-quality solutions for both street sweeping and runway cleaning! Our team provides you with optimal brooms, airport runway brushes, and spreader chains to keep you prepared for winter.

At URB, we supply our clients with important items, such as airport brooms, street sweeper brooms, snow plow edges, bucket blades, and spreader chains. Our mission is to help our clients keep their environment clean and clear of trash, debris, and any other objects that might get in the way.
For more information about our expansive inventory of gutter brooms, tube brooms, main brooms, strip brooms, wafer brooms, runway cassettes, plow blades, and more – contact us today at (800) 851-5108. You can also go online to see our full assortment of products for highly acclaimed brands like Wolverine, Global, Elgin, Schwarze, XBroom, SB Manufacturing, TYMCO, Bucher/Johnston, Virnig, Laymor, Paladin, and many others.
With more than 80 years of manufacturing experience in the rotary broom business, our team at United Rotary Brush has clearly established ourselves as a reputable source for all your brush and broom needs. Our full line of rotary broom products will be sure to include what you need.
We look forward to assisting you!