Ice causes planes to slip: The onset of winter also causes delays at Zurich airport

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This week there was a severe winter in Germany. This was also noticeable at the airports: a Eurowings plane skidded due to icy conditions at Hamburg airport on Wednesday evening, German media reported.

The plane skidded while parking, but no one was injured in the incident, a Eurowings spokeswoman explained when asked by Blick. The plane from Stuttgart was towed and operations continued as normal thereafter.

Winter has also arrived in Switzerland since Thursday. What are the airports like in this country?

A maximum of 70 vehicles are in use

According to media spokeswoman Bettina Kunz, Zurich Airport is prepared for such situations. “When it snows, all aircraft must be cleared of snow before they can take off,” Kunz writes in response to a request from Blick. This takes between 10 and 20 minutes by plane. “As a result, departures will be postponed accordingly.”

According to the spokeswoman, the airport was able to open in time for the start of work on Thursday. As Kunz explains, approximately 300 employees are responsible for maintaining the slopes from October to April. “They are ready day and night to clear taxiways, aircraft stands and runways, as well as streets and other operational areas, of snow or ice as quickly as possible,” says Kunz.

The winter service can rely on a fleet of up to 70 vehicles, including defrosters, tire loaders, small and large snow blowers.

Source: Blick