“Winter Storms Disrupt U.S. Air Travel: Navigating the Chaos”

A Boeing 737 from Southwest Airlines is being de-iced prior to departure at Salt Lake City International Airport on Feb. 22, 2023. The wings, fuselage, and tail need to be cleared of ice before it can take off whenever there are snow, ice, or frost conditions.

Rick Bowmer/AP

hide caption

toggle caption

Rick Bowmer/AP

WASHINGTON — When the temperature drops significantly, the de-icing teams begin their work.

A large truck first draws up beside an aircraft. Then, the bucket operator applies hot fluid mixture onto the wings, tail, and fuselage to melt any ice and ensure the jet can ascend safely.

“It’s just a particularly irritating time of the year,” remarked Chris Manno, a retired airline captain who dedicated 35 years to American Airlines. “Everything is being handled with safety in mind. There’s no effective way to do it, except slowly.”

This week has posed significant challenges for air travelers, as a significant winter storm compelled airlines to cancel thousands of flights and postpone many others. The issues were especially pronounced at airports near the nation’s capital, which experienced over half a foot of snow. Another storm is anticipated to bring additional precipitation to major airports in Dallas and Atlanta later this week.

The winter conditions leave airlines no alternative but to de-ice aircraft before departure to keep them airborne, because even a minimal amount of ice on the wings can cause severe complications.

“Not just significant snow but even very thin layers of frost can negatively impact lift,” explained Kathleen Bangs, a former commercial airline pilot now serving as a spokesperson for FlightAware, the flight-tracking service.

A Frontier Airlines aircraft is approaching a de-icing facility prior to takeoff in Denver, as captured in this archival image. Two powerful winter storms are disrupting the U.S. aviation system this week.

Brennan Linsley/AP

hide caption

toggle caption

Brennan Linsley/AP

“Planes can be rolling down the runway,” Bangs elaborated. “They will speed up, often reaching takeoff velocity. However, when they attempt to ascend, or if they manage to get a few feet off the ground, they can lose significant lift, rendering the aircraft incapable of flight.”

The de-icing procedure typically requires around 20 minutes for a smaller aircraft, Manno noted. For larger jets, de-icing might result in delays of up to 40 minutes or longer for each flight.

“It’s a considerable logistical undertaking,” he remarked. “Most airlines are effectively managing this. It’s just a slow process that must be executed correctly.”

If not completed accurately, the consequences can be disastrous. In January 1982, an Air Florida jet crashed into the Potomac River shortly after departing from what was then known as Washington National Airport, resulting in the loss of most passengers and crew aboard. This incident – along with a USAir jet crash in New York City a decade later – led to stricter standards for de-icing procedures.

Airlines now typically utilize two distinct types of chemical blends, depending on circumstances: de-icing agents and anti-icing agents. De-icing agents are heated to 140 degrees to eliminate frost, snow, and ice from critical surfaces like the wings, while anti-icing agents prevent the formation of ice. Glycol is the primary component in both solutions.

Despite advancements in de-icing technology, several aspects of the job remain unchanged.

“You’re exposed to the elements; it’s snowing. Visibility can be quite poor at times,” said Thomas Stevenson, a de-icer for Southwest Airlines stationed in Denver, in a video uploaded by the company on YouTube. “It certainly gets frigid. But that’s something you somewhat accepted when you took the position.”

His co-worker, Jamie Martinez, describes it as an “immense responsibility” to ensure that a full aircraft carrying over 140 passengers and crew is prepared for takeoff.

“We truly attempt to treat each airplane as if it had a family member onboard,” Martinez shared. “And that’s what drives us to ensure we perform the job accurately.”

It’s not solely in cold-weather areas that airlines must consider de-icing. It is equally a concern in warmer locales such as Texas, Georgia, and Florida.

“It remains essential, even this far south,” stated John Murphy, the assistant director of airside operations at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. He mentioned that the airport has already recorded more than a dozen days this winter when de-icing was necessary – even without any significant snowfall.

The airport is bracing for a significant winter storm later this week, which is expected to deliver snow or freezing rain across a wide area of the South, from Dallas to Atlanta. Murphy anticipates that de-icing will again be required.

“So delays of up to an hour could be seen; that’s typical,” he noted. “The primary focus is always safety.”

Such delays can be exasperating for passengers. However, Kathleen Bangs from FlightAware believes that U.S. airlines and airports deserve recognition for their efforts during this week’s storm — despite numerous flight cancellations and delays. 

“The reality is they continued operating. They maintained safe operations,” she stated. “You do your best. I mean, when there’s significant snow accumulating in certain areas, or icy runways, many places around the globe just shut down and cease operations altogether.”