Winter deicing operations in Philadelphia airport

AccuWeather

AccuWeather's Ali Reid reports from the Philadelphia International Airport in Pennsylvania where deicing operations have been ongoing for planes in the airport in the morning of Jan. 29.

Transcript

00:00We know that just even a few snowflakes can disrupt air travel. That's why airports across

00:05the country, including Philadelphia, prepare in advance. One of the biggest challenges though,

00:10and I know this one well, de-icing planes. It can take some time to get that done.

00:16Our Allie Reid is live at Philadelphia International Airport this morning with

00:20the behind-the-scenes look at how crews tackle this essential winter operation.

00:24Allie, I'm sure Bernie's very happy to share his story again with you about his de-icing.

00:28Already shared it with her, yes. Do it again! No, Allie, take it from here.

00:33Well, I was gonna say, I was gonna say, Bernie, even though you may not love the de-icing process

00:39and what goes into that, slowing down your flight time, getting to your final destination,

00:45it still is important. It's essential. And obviously, it's a big safety factor for those

00:50getting to and from your final destination. So, you may not love it, but I'm telling you,

00:56it is the best thing possible. And a lot of these airports, or all airports across the country,

01:00have to follow the guidelines of the FAA when it comes to that. But these crews really are

01:06prepared for any type of weather pattern, whether that be ice, snow, slush, you name it,

01:11they've done it. And that's been the same for this season too. Again, the de-icing process

01:17really playing a large role here. Take a look at this video. This gives you a perspective

01:21of what it can look like here at PHL when you do get the snow in this season and in past seasons

01:27as well. The work really begins before the first snowflake even falls, right? Crews train staff,

01:33they pre-treat surfaces to minimize ice buildup. But when planes need to take off in winter

01:37conditions, de-icing becomes the top priority. Crews must ensure that no ice or snow remains

01:43on an aircraft, as even a thin layer can really impact lift and compromise safety. Specialized

01:48de-icing trucks equipped with high-powered nozzles spray a heated fluid mixture onto the

01:53plane's surface, melting away any frozen contaminants on contact. The process really

01:57is meticulous. Depending on the severity of the weather, it takes an average of 6 to 12

02:02minutes to de-ice a plane. With thousands of flights coming in and out of Philadelphia each

02:06winter, de-icing plays a crucial role in keeping passengers safe and travel schedules on track.

02:12And to make it all happen, it all takes place in a critical location at the airport.

02:19All communication pertaining to de-icing during the actual de-icing, after the de-icing, prior to

02:25the de-icing will take place in the icehouse. We are the last stop before they take flight.

02:30So they'll taxi down to us, we will do our job, and then they'll take off from there.

02:35All our de-icers are trained per the aircraft requirements. They are trying to make sure that

02:41when they're de-icing the aircraft, no aircraft leave our facility with contamination still

02:46adhering to it. It takes nearly 100 crew members, manpower, personnel to pull this off,

02:56sometimes daily depending on the weather. And with over 40 million square feet of runways,

03:00taxiways, you name it, plus nearly 12 million square feet of roadways and parking lots,

03:05keeping everything operational is no small task. But the crews here make sure every takeoff is as

03:11safe as possible, no matter what Mother Nature brings. And I think the key word there is safe.

03:17Again, these planes are not able to take off from PHL unless they are following those FAA

03:23guidelines, making sure that all contaminants, again, the ice, the slush, the snow, completely

03:29removed from those airplanes before you take off. So Bernie, yes, it might take you a little bit

03:35extra time, but ultimately you're staying as safe as possible, right? So we're looking at it as a

03:40positive. Hey, listen, I get it. I get it. It's an essential part and yeah, you want to make sure

03:46that you're safe. So absolutely. Great stuff, Allie. Allie, we appreciate you being live out

03:50there in Philadelphia for us this morning.

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