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hezu wöchentlich über den Status ihrer
Winterdienstbereitschaft.
Herr Krebs, Sie kümmern sich also um
die Organisation der Flugzeug-Entei-
sung. Das ist bei so großen Maschinen
sicherlich nicht gerade einfach. Wa-
rum müssen Flugzeuge eigentlich
enteist werden? Ist das kompliziert?
Verschiedene Witterungsverhältnisse
erfordern eine Flugzeugenteisung zur
Sicherung der Aerodynamik. German-
wings fliegt ausschließlich Airbus A319.
Zusammen mit der Boeing 737 zählt der
A319 zu den Standardschmalrumpf-
flugzeugen, die hauptsächlich im in-
nereuropäischen Verkehr eingesetzt
werden. Die Enteisung dieser beiden
Flugzeugtypen bedeutet für jede unserer
angeflogenen Stationen keine besondere
Herausforderung.
Und wann müssen Flugzeuge enteist
werden? Wie läuft das ab?
Bei nachts abgestellten Flugzeugen wird
bei zu erwartenden Temperaturen unter
Null Grad Celcius eine Reifbildung an den
Flügeln erwartet. Dann wird entweder,
aufgrund der Wettervorhersage, bereits
vor der Reifbildung eine dünne, aus circa
100 Prozent Glykol bestehende Mischung
mit einem Enteiserfahrzeug auf das
Flugzeug gesprüht. Diesen Vorgang
nennt man Anti-Icing und er sorgt dafür,
dass sich bis zum Abflug des Flugzeugs
erst gar keine Reifschicht bildet. Werden
für die Nacht Temperaturen wesentlich
unter Null Grad Celcius erwartet bezie-
hungsweise hat es geschneit oder gab es
Eisregen, dann wird die berei ts
vorhandene Vereisung mit einer auf etwa
80 Grad Celcius aufgeheizten Glykol-
mischung entfernt. So kann eine erneute
Reifbildung bis zum Abflug verhindert
werden. Diesen Vorgang nennt man
De-Icing.
Was passiert, wenn weiterer Nieder-
schlag fällt und sich eine Schnee-
oder Eisschicht auf den Flugzeugen
bildet?
In diesem Fall kann das Flugzeug erst
kurz vor dem Start enteist werden. Je
nach Temperatur, Intensität des Nieder-
schlages und je nachdem wie lange es
dauert bis der Flug nach der Enteisung
startet, wird Enteiserflüssigkeit in unter-
schiedlichen Mischungsverhältnissen
eingesetzt.
Was empfehlen Sie Reisenden wäh-
rend Wintertagen mit Schnee und Eis?
free of snow and ice so the planes can
operate as normal.
How do you prepare for winter?
As early as the middle of summer, some
of my team are already busy preparing to
keep our planes ice-free during the next
winter season. It is particularly important
that we analyse the experiences of the
previous season so we can be better
prepared the next time. Each airline has
its own strict internal regulations, but
we also have to adhere to rules set by
international umbrella bodies as well as
the national Luftfahrt Bundesamt (LBA),
so every year there are changes and
updates to be added to our handbooks.
Germanwings – and my division in
particular – is responsible for organising
and overseeing preventative (anti-icing)
and active (de-icing) operations. Before
that, we also have to make sure staff
at every Germanwings site – there are
some 35 in total – are provided with the
right instructions and handbooks. When
putting these together, we work with
representatives from various accredited
organisations involved with the de-icing
of aircraft.
How do you ensure “winter chaos”
doesn’t take hold at the airport? Do
you always have enough de-icer?
Essentially, we have to rely on each
airport to have prepared individually
and adequately for the winter season.
Preparations should include checking
whether enough planes are available,
whether there is enough de-icer in stock,
whether there are enough staff and that
they have had the right training. We
provide each airport with a checklist as
early as September, and if there are any
obvious gaps we will ask them or the
companies they are working with to rectify
any problems. These checks are very
important for us.
What happened last winter?
Last winter we ran out of de-icer at some
sites. As an airline, there was absolutely
nothing we could do about this situation,
which was highly unusual and affected
the whole of Europe. At the time, the
airline umbrella bodies demanded that this
should never be allowed to happen again.
We have drawn on those experiences
to ensure we are better prepared for
the coming winter season. Airports and
suppliers are now working together to
report on the availability of de-icer and
Ich empfehle unseren Passagieren nicht
nur ausreichend Zeit zur Anreise zum
Flughafen einzuplanen, sondern auch die
Wettervorhersage aufmerksam zu ver-
folgen. In den seltensten Fällen ergeben
sich Wintereinbrüche quasi über Nacht
und aus heiterem Himmel. Alle aktuellen
Informationen zu möglichen Beeinträch-
tigungen des Flugverkehrs veröffentli-
chen wir auch auf www.germanwings.
com. Wir empfehlen unseren Kunden,
sich regelmäßig zu informieren.
other winter preparations on an almost
weekly basis.
Herr Krebs, part of your job is to
de-ice the planes. It can’t be easy
working with such big machines.
Why do the planes have to be de-iced
and how hard is it?
Planes have to be de-iced in certain
weather conditions to ensure they remain
aerodynamic. Germanwings uses Airbus
A319 planes exclusively; along with the
Boeing 737, the A319 is one of the most
common aircraft used for intra-European
flights. De-icing these two models should
not represent any major challenges for any
of the sites we fly to.
When are the planes de-iced and how
does it all work?
For night flights, if the forecast is below
zero degrees Celsius we expect there to be
some build-up of ice on the wings. We’ll
keep an eye on the weather forecast and
spray on a thin layer of antifreeze using a
de-icing machine to keep the frost at bay.
This preparation is called anti-icing and
ensures that there is no build-up of ice on
the plane before take-off. If temperatures
in the night have reached significantly
below zero degrees, or if there has been
snow or freezing rain, the build-up of ice
can be removed with an antifreeze mixture
that is heated to around 80 degrees
Celsius. This also prevents further
build-up of ice before the next flight. This
process is called de-icing.
What happens if there is more snow
or freezing rain and it settles on the
aircraft?
If that happens, we will de-ice the aircraft
again shortly before take-off. Depending
on the temperature and intensity of the
snow or freezing rain, and on how much
time we have before the flight is due to
take off, we are able to employ a variety of
different de-icing techniques.
Do you have any advice for
passengers travelling in snowy and
icy conditions?
I would advise passengers not only to
allow ample time for their journey to the
airport, but also to keep a close eye on
the weather forecast. It is very rare that
a cold snap will set in overnight with
no warning whatsoever. Up-to-date
information about possible problems
and delays is available on www.
germanwings.com, and we recommend
that customers check this regularly.
Q&A WITH
THORSTEN KREBS:
PREPARING FOR
WINTER FLYING
Herr Krebs, you are head of
the Ground Operations team at
Germanwings. What do you and your
department do day to day?
My team and I try to ensure safe, punctual
and high-quality operations on the ground.
There are three main aspects to our work:
the first is to take care of the passengers,
looking after them and making sure they
are in the right place at the right time.
This includes overseeing any activities a
passenger might engage in during their
passage through the airport. Our second
job is to organise and control operations
on the ground outside. This includes
being in charge of the portable steps that
help passengers board and disembark
from the planes, loading and unloading
luggage, cleaning machinery and making
sure there is fresh water on board each
flight. In winter, we are also in charge
of de-icing the planes. And last but not
least, we also have staff working from a
central operating room, keeping track of
exactly when each Germanwings plane is
ready for its next flight. We also organise
the crew shortly before each flight, and
if a flight is delayed for any reason we
are responsible for taking care of the
passengers on the ground.
How are the aircraft prepared for
winter? Do planes have winter tyres?
Planes are designed from the outset to be
winter-proof. They are made with built-in
systems to prevent too much ice forming
on the bodywork. They also have the same
tyres all year round; there are no winter
tyres, and of course no snow chains for
planes. The airport is responsible for
keeping the runways and taxiing areas
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