Recent events have seen winter weather cause disruption at airports all around the world. While some countries are more used to such conditions (and better prepared to deal with them) than others, winter storms can often result in operational disruption regardless of where they take place. 2025 got off to a particularly difficult start for airports in Germany, the UK, and the US as such conditions prevailed.
For passengers, it can be frustrating to have flights delayed or canceled due to something as out of everyone’s control as the weather. Therefore, in order to minimize such annoyance wherever possible, airlines and airports around the world have strategies in place to deal with the impacts of winter storms in a manner that, hopefully, will reduce operational disruption. Let’s examine some of these aspects.
De-icing plays an important role
For passengers who are used to flying in freezing conditions, an indicator that it’s a colder-than-average day is the presence of de-icing equipment. These special trucks spray aircraft with a special (and often brightly colored) fluid that prevents the build-up of ice on the plane’s control surfaces. This can take place both at the gate and at designated parts of the taxiway en route to the runway.
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At face value, the job of de-icing an aircraft may seem like a relatively simple task whereby operators of the trucks spray the necessary areas of the plane with fluid. However, as DTN notes, the reality is a rather more complex one, with “different fluids and treatments applied for different types of ice, such as snow, frost, or freezing rain.” Once the necessary treatment has been identified, timing is also key.
Indeed, the ground crew at airports have to pick their time carefully when it comes to de-icing an aircraft, as to do so too early will mean that the procedure needs to be repeated due to the risk of a fresh build-up of ice. On the other hand, while leaving it late guarantees that an aircraft’s control surfaces will be sufficiently clear of ice, this does risk delays at a time when operations may already be impacted.
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Ice on the aircraft was thought to have been a key factor in the Munich Air Disaster in February 1958, when a British European Airways plane carrying the Manchester United football team crashed on takeoff. However, it was ultimately found that the main cause of the crash was slush on the runway, which the plane encountered when it was traveling too fast to abort but too slowly to take off.
Clearing the runways
With this in mind, keeping the runways clear of ice and snow also plays an important role in ensuring safe operations during winter weather. DTN notes that there is also a fine balance to be struck here, as, while snowy runways absolutely need cleaning, jumping the gun with “unnecessary runway treatments [wastes] money and resources, as well as [causing] avoidable environmental damage.”
Keeping runways clear of snow and ice often goes hand in hand with doing the same for aircraft’s control surfaces, which can cause logistical difficulties at airports that rarely see snow. The World Meteorological Organization notes that “de-icing combined with runway clearance is a major challenge to airport management and can cause significant delays at airports experiencing few snowfall events.”
Another reason why airports that rarely see snow often struggle to handle winter storms is the fact that temperatures in such conditions are typically only slightly below freezing, rather than tens of degrees lower. Manchester Airport, which has seen its fair share of wintery disruption at the start of 2025, explains that:
“At temperatures around freezing point, snow tends to be wetter because not all of it is frozen. This means it turns to slush and ice which is both more slippery and harder to clear. When the temperature is lower than -2 C the snow is drier and more powdery, and easier to clear or blow away.”
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Airports around the world use dedicated ground vehicles to clear heavy snow, with Manchester Airport noting that it has over 30 of these, with more than 180 of its employees trained to use them. The facility’s fleet features “tractors that can be equipped with a range of attachments including ploughs and brushes, and combined jet blowers that are fitted with ploughs, blowers and brushes.”
Closures are sometimes necessary
When snow at an airport reaches a certain depth, it can be necessary to close a runway for it to be cleared by the facility’s dedicated fleet of vehicles. This is a vital safety measure that avoids the potential for conflict between aircraft and ground vehicles on the same landing strip in conditions that are already more challenging than normal. Commenting on this safety-critical nature, the i6 Group notes that:
“Just as pilots are trained to fly in hazardous conditions, so should ground crew be trained to operate their vehicles. Airport personnel should undergo comprehensive training programs that cover safe driving techniques, hazard awareness, and emergency procedures in extreme weather conditions, emphasizing the importance of maintaining vehicle control and avoiding risky maneuvers.”
An airport that recently had to close its runways in order to allow for the clearing of heavy snow on the surface was Washington National (DCA) in the US. Meanwhile, over in Germany, Munich Airport (MUC) cleared one at a time, meaning that single-runway operations could continue, albeit with delays. However, smaller facilities in the UK with just one runway had to stop flights altogether when clearing.
Planes aren’t the only things that get de-iced
When we think about de-icing procedures at commercial airports all around the world, pictures of bright spray being shot onto the control surfaces of an aircraft are likely what comes to mind for most people. However, did you know that airports also apply de-icing treatments to their runways and taxiways as a precautionary safety measure during periods of adverse winter weather? A most elegant solution!
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For areas such as walkways, car parks, and railway station platforms at airports, the use of grit and salt, just like how roads are treated, is enough to keep passengers and staff safe. However, this same tactic cannot be deployed on an airport’s apron, taxiways, or runways, as the corrosive nature of the grit and salt used has the potential to cause damage to aircraft. Manchester Airport subsequently explains:
“The runways are treated with de-icing fluid that prevents them from freezing. The surface is also slightly grooved to provide better traction for aircraft when it is wet or icy. The de-icing treatment will prevent some snow from building up but that can still happen in heavy snow.”
Photo: Alexey Lesik | Shutterstock
According to i6, the fluids used as part of these procedures are glycol-based. While the application of de-icing fluid to these surfaces “prevents snow from bonding to the pavement,” this is not the only fluid-based solution to winter weather on the ground at airports. Indeed, the i6 Group also notes that a treatment known as anti-icing fluid can be “applied during or after snowfall to melt snow and ice.”
Air traffic control restrictions
Given that winter storms result in challenging flying conditions for planes taking off from and landing at a given airport, this also has to be factored into the decision-making process when it comes to the management of air traffic control. As the BBC notes, adverse winter weather can dictate that spacing between aircraft has to be increased by 50%, subsequently slashing capacity by around a third.
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With airports subsequently “[going] into a kind of slow motion,” as travel expert Simon Calder told the BBC, this can have a significant knock-on effect at busier hubs. For instance, increased spacing over a wintery weekend at London Gatwick Airport (LGW) reportedly impacted some 75,000 of the facility’s passengers. However, as is always the case in modern aviation, safety has to come first.
Such situations can also result in a greater workload for ATC working at airports situated much further away from those that are being affected by adverse winter weather. Indeed, with runway closures and increased aircraft spacing often resulting in diversions, the BBC noted that Manchester-bound flights have ended up as far away as Dublin and Paris. As such, controllers at other airports should be prepared to deal with the impacts of adverse weather at facilities located elsewhere.
Be prepared
At airports where adverse winter weather and snow storms are more of a regular occurrence, special weather response teams are present in order to coordinate the handling of such conditions. For example, Zurich Airport (ZRH), located in Switzerland, has its own ‘Snow Committee,’ whose “units control and monitor all processes related to winter operations and aircraft de-icing,” according to DTN.
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TAV Technologies adds that contingency plans are a must for airports, noting that these “should outline how operations will be handled, and how passengers and cargo will be rerouted.” Additionally, the site highlights the need for airports to work with both airlines and other agencies to tailor their responses. Winter storms require a lot of hard work, but keeping everyone safe is the most important thing.