Pulkovo Airport Trials Locally-Made Aircraft De-Icing Vehicles

Photo by © Pulkovo airport press service

Pulkovo Airport has begun introducing Russian-manufactured de-icing equipment, becoming the first airport in Russia to use domestically sourced de-icers. These are reportedly 3-4 times less expensive than their foreign counterparts. This was announced in the airport’s press office.

In 2025, the airport plans to add four more domestically produced vehicles, with one already in operation. These will be built on the KamAZ chassis, with the first prototype being based on a Volvo chassis. The vehicles are designed for the rapid de-icing of aircraft up to 28 metres in height. Their introduction will increase the total number of de-icers at Pulkovo to 14 units and allow for a shift from a ‘one vehicle to two aircraft’ ratio to a ‘two vehicles to three aircraft’ ratio.

The Russian de-icers employ a 12-metre telescopic boom, which will facilitate the treatment of hard-to-reach areas on aircraft. The equipment from the manufacturer Olemeth is capable of both removing existing snow and ice deposits using heated mixtures of water and Type I de-icing fluid, and applying Type IV anti-icing fluid to prevent further icing.

“Pulkovo’s transition to locally sourced de-icers is a step towards ensuring technological independence, reducing costs, and increasing the efficiency of aircraft servicing. The expansion of the airport’s technical capabilities helps to improve flight safety and ensures the stable operation of ground services in variable winter weather conditions,” the press office stated.

Following the complete renewal of the de-icing vehicle fleet, a reduction of 35-40% in de-icing turnaround times is expected compared to current performance. This reduction will streamline aircraft ground handling, reduce overall aircraft turnaround times, and increase the airport’s throughput capacity.

The management company’s press office also reported that over 40 units of locally manufactured ground handling equipment were procured in 2024.

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (2 votes, average: 2.50 out of 5)
Loading...