Airport News

Warsaw Chopin Airport is ready to start The Winter Campaign. Technical services of Warsaw airport have the most modern winter maintenance machinery and are able to provide continuity of aircraft movements even during severe precipitations.

For clearing of runway and taxiway surfaces sets consisting of snowplough, tug and brush cleaner are used. Those sets having a working width of 5.5 m are able to clean nearly 4 kilometres of a 45-metrewide runway within just twenty minutes. To clean the runway just one passage of a column consisting of eight such sets is enough (most airports require two passages to clear the runway).

Warsaw airport has at its disposal six machines designed for surface de-icing. The technical services have the most modern and the biggest Dammann sprinkling machine in Poland. The machine with 40-metrewide arms allows to cover the entire working width of the runway surface during one passage, without the necessity to refill the de-icing fluid.

For cleaning of the aprons three so-called compact devices (JetBroom) are dedicated. They are equipped with a plough, a brush between the axles of a vehicle and a device for chemicals distribution. In addition on the aprons – according to the needs – plough installed on trucks and supplementary machines for the surface de-icing chemicals distribution are in use.

It should be stressed that due to the requirements of aircraft manufacturers and environmental protection, the services at the Chopin Airport use only chemicals meeting the requirements of airport standards – i.e. non-corrosive for aircraft and ensuring a short time utilization (potassium and sodium formate).

Already from mid-October, Chopin Airport technical services work in full readiness using a 12-hour roster. At any time throughout the day, they are ready to take action related to the maintenance of operational efficiency of the airport in poor weather conditions.

 – Winter is a real challenge for the aviation transport. Frequent fogs, freezing drizzle or snowfalls can paralyse the work of the airport for hours. Luckily we have a team of experienced and highly qualified people who can cope even in the most demanding conditions. In effect, Warsaw airport has a reputation of one of the best performing airports in winter. Pilots know that they can always land here safely and will not experience any unpleasant surprises – says Radoslaw Paruzel, deputy director of the Warsaw Chopin Airport.