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Start of the winter season 2013/2014: Schönefeld and Tegel Airports are well prepared for winter weather

16.10.13 11:00

Start of the winter season 2013/14

At airports, winter can sometimes begin in the autumn, as ice may form on cold aircraft wings even when the temperature is above 0°C , for instance in humid conditions. This year, the first aircraft were de-iced on 2 October. This officially marks the start of the winter season at the airport.

As every year, Flughafen Berlin Brandenburg GmbH and its partners are already well prepared for the start of the winter season. The evaluation of the previous winter shows that the collaboration between all those involved was highly successful and efficient. The new de-icing coordination concept, which was implemented at Tegel Airport for the first time, proved to be very effective and will be implemented at Schönefeld Airport this year, too: the de-icing coordinator at GlobeGround Berlin GmbH & Co. KG will now be on-site at both airports in the Airport Control Center (ACC) which is where all central airport processes are controlled and monitored. This ensures that the information flow between the airside duty managers or the airports’ operations managers and the GlobeGround Berlin coordinator is as fast as possible, thus facilitating efficient decision-making processes.

Additionally, new vehicles will be provided for the runway crew, the capacities of the de-icing fluid depot at Schönefeld have been increased to cope with contingencies and an additional handling and de-icing position has been provided at Tegel Airport.

Elmar Kleinert, Head of Operations, Flughafen Berlin Brandenburg GmbH:

“We have prepared very carefully for the coming winter. Security in all aviation operations takes top priority in everything we do. As a result, we cannot always avoid weather-related delays in the winter. We kindly ask passengers to factor this in when making their travel arrangements. Our team will do everything it can to reduce the impact of the winter weather to a minimum.”

Michael Schwarz, Vice President Airport Operations airberlin:

“airberlin is excellently prepared for the cold season. We have made preparations across all areas to ensure optimum procedures even in winter conditions. We are cooperating closely with the airport and GlobeGround Berlin. Together, we identify rapid solutions to allow us to get our passengers to their destinations as quickly as possible and we are confident that our combined efforts will enable us to master the challenges of the coming winter.”

Bernhard Alvensleben, Managing Director GlobeGround Berlin GmbH & Co. KG:

"Working in close cooperation with all our partners we have made careful preparations for the new de-icing season. Staff training measures have been running since the summer and our storage capacities and depots are fully replenished.”

Staff and vehicles are ready for action

Around 300 employees at both airports are on stand-by for winter services, half of whom come from the airport operating company and the other half from GlobeGround Berlin GmbH & Co. KG. Additionally, 50 large-volume snow ploughs and gritters designed especially for use at airports and 21 de-icing vehicles are also on standby. The airport operating company has provided four new snow ploughs for the runway clearing crew. Since July, GlobeGround Berlin has been organising training courses and de-icing courses.

Review winter 2012/13

Despite the cold weather, the airports at Schönefeld and Tegel remained fully operational throughout the winter although de-icing was required on a total of 139 days. This excellent result is largely due to the close cooperation between all partners and the outstanding dedication and work of the teams. The insight gained from analysing the previous winter has been used in the preparations for this coming winter, and experience from the previous winter will play a substantial role in ensuring that this winter passes just as smoothly.

Service information for passengers

The weather conditions in the winter present a tough challenge for all carriers and can always cause unexpected delays and cancellations. Passengers are advised to check the situation at the airport and their flight status well in advance of departing for the airport. Passengers can obtain information about their flight from the airline or their tour operator.

In addition to this, the 24h airport information desk will provide updates and information on its helpline: +49 30 6091 1150.

At www.berlin-airport.de passengers can get updates for their flight before leaving for the airport and can also sign up for a free text message service. In addition, the Berlin Airport iPhone App provides all important updates and real-time information for arrivals and departures at both airports. The App will also soon be available for Android devices. In general, passengers and anyone picking a passenger up should allow more time to get to the airport. The airport operating company apologises for any inconvenience or delays that may occur.