OREANDA-NEWS. 17 pieces of surplus airport maintenance and operations equipment from Denver International Airport (DIA) will see new life at nine of Colorado's public use airports. DIA partnered with the Colorado Department of T ransportation Division of Aeronautics to host an airport surplus property sale on Friday, August 23. At the sale, any Colorado public use airport had the opportunity to acquire needed equipment at reduced prices. In addition, CDOT's Division of Aeronautics, with approval from the Colorado Aeronautical Board, funded 80 percent of each airport's total purchase at the sale and will offer grants to each airport to assist with maintenance of the newly purchased airport gear.

Items purchased at the sale included four dump trucks with snow plows, three skid steers, four solar-powered traffic signs, two roadway marking trucks, a generator, a runway scrubber, and two portable light units.

A total of USD 155,200 in sales was made during the event, USD 124,160 of which was covered through dollar-for-dollar matching grants through the Colorado Aeronautical Board.

Denver Manager of Aviation Kim Day said the sale is one of the ways DIA partners with other Colorado airports. “DIA is pleased to again join with CDOT's Division of Aeronautics to support our airport partners across the state who, through this sale, are able to obtain equipment that will enhance their ability to provide safe and efficient operations.”

The DIA Surplus Equipment Program has been extremely successful in past years, helping more than 20 Colorado airports purchase over 80 pieces of airport-related heavy equipment since 2005.

Airports participating in this year's surplus sale were:

Colorado Springs Municipal Airport

Eagle County Regional Airport

Grand County (Kremmling Airport/Granby Airport)

Grand Junction Regional Airport

Leadville-Lake County Airport

Rocky Mountain Regional Airport

Animas Airpark

Alamosa - San Luis Valley Regional Airport

Leadville-Lake County Airport Manager Michael Huemann said the sale offers the airports opportunities they would not have otherwise. “The equipment we have purchased has saved the county thousands of dollars and has increased the amount of time our runway is open during the snowy winter months. We appreciate DIA's generosity and the State's financial help to purchase this much needed equipment.”

Eagle County Regional Airport Operations Manager Bill Ponder added, “This opportunity has allowed us to buy airport specific equipment that has increased the airport's safety and efficiency.”