A video posted on social media last week, has revealed how ground crew members, at Brindisi Airport (BDS), used a bucket of hot water to de-ice an airplane by climbing stairs and throwing it over the wings.
Ryanair’s approach to de-icing, caught on camera by Italian politician Mauro D’Attiswhich, has concerned the Italian aviation authority and it is understood the Ecole Nationale de l’Aviation Civile (ENAC) are sending inspectors to Brindisi to investigate.
ENAC said: “In relation to press reports and videos circulated in recent days that report de-icing of the wings of aircraft departing from Brindisi Airport were carried out manually and in an inadequate manner. The National Agency for the Civil Aviation announces that it has initiated inspections on airport operations conducted at the airport in conjunction with the snowfall that affected the area.
“The ENAC technicians will be at Brindisi Airport to verify the management of the emergency derived from adverse weather conditions and the situation that has been determined.”
Normally, standard procedures for de-icing usually involve boom trucks which spray the planes control surfaces with an appropriate chemical mix, which removes the ice properly and prevents it from reforming.
Video credit: Mauro D’Attiswhich via facebook
