De-Icing: When Aircraft get a Hot Shower

Winter operations are a special challenge for airports and airlines every year. A team of specialists from Swissport, Zurich Airport and SWISS are on duty from early in the morning until late at night to ensure safe and orderly flight operations despite the snow and ice.

One of the main tasks, in addition to clearing snow from runways, taxiways and aprons, is de-icing the aircraft. In the 2022/2023 winter season, over 3,000 de-icing operations were carried out at Zurich Airport. In the current winter season, 1099 SWISS aircraft have already had to be de-iced. De-icing is carried out by around 160 employees, who work in shifts on a voluntary basis by Swissport and employees from flight-related companies during the winter months.

Up to 400 liters of liquid are sprayed to clean the surfaces of the aircraft.

An aircraft is getting de-iced at night.

Up to 400 liters of liquid per aircraft
To ensure that an aircraft can fly safely, the fuselage, wings and stabilizers must be cleared of ice and snow and protected before take-off during the cold season. At Zurich Airport, this is mainly done on the so-called de-icing pads, which are located to the north of runway 28. Aircraft taxi there on icy days before take-off to be given a "hot shower". De-icing trucks are used, which are operated by a de-icing specialist at a lofty height. Depending on the size of the aircraft and the degree of contamination with ice or snow, around 400 liters of liquid (a mixture of hot water and glycol) must be sprayed to clean the flight-relevant surfaces of the aircraft.

Deicing of SWISS Aircraft at Zurich Airport Winter 2023/24

Depending on the type of weather and temperature, two different liquids are used. Type 1, an orange liquid to remove existing contamination, and type 4, a green liquid to protect against recontamination, or a mixture of both. The de-icing process takes between 3 and a maximum of 30 minutes, depending on the type of aircraft and the amount of contamination present. De-icing fluid that drips off the aircraft is not simply discharged into the sewage system, but is collected under the floor, partially recycled or disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner.

12 vehicles in use
On the de-icing pads, the 12 de-icing vehicles are instructed by the de-icing coordinator. He sits in a small tower right next to the de-icing pads. His job is to guide the aircraft through the de-icing process and ensure that the correct liquid mixture is sprayed. The de-icing coordinator also ensures communication with the pilot during the de-icing process.