Winter Maintenance & Deicing

The top priority of winter operations is to ensure the smoothest possible flow of air traffic.

The skilled staff of Ramp Handling, supported by a snow-removal fleet of 17 vehicles, ensure that the runway, taxiways and apron are cleared of snow as quickly as possible. During continuous snowfall, operations run without interruption. Only once adequate friction and braking action are achieved can aircraft take off and land safely.

Winter operations are also responsible for the deicing of aircraft. Depending on the temperature, a hot glycol-water mixture of varying concentration is applied to the aircraft. This procedure prevents unnecessary additional weight and avoids adverse aerodynamic effects that can be caused by snow and ice.