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.
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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.