De-icing

Winter is a major challenge for the airport company (FBB). Areas need to be cleared of snow and ice and aircraft de-iced within a very short period of time. In that respect, care is to be taken so that the amount of de-icing agents in the water is minimised.

To de-ice aircraft, propylene glycols are mixed with water and used in precisely defined mixing ratios depending on the area of application and weather conditions. The de-icing agents are sprayed hot onto the aircraft using special vehicles. Excess de-icing agent drips off and mixes with the run-off water. The biodegradable mixture of de-icing agent and water is cleaned via soil filters or a root zone treatment plant or fed into the Berliner Wasserbetriebe treatment plants.

Sodium and potassium formats, which are readily biodegradable, are used to de-ice the runways, the taxiways leading to them and the apron. As a matter of principle, mechanical snow removal is preferred to chemical treatment of the surfaces and de-icing agents are only used on previously cleaned surfaces. Every application of de-icing agent is precisely documented. A GPS-based system has been used for many years to help ensure that the de-icing agent is used as efficiently as possible. The gritting vehicles have a special on-board computer that provides the necessary information.