City's airports busy defrosting aircraft
An airport worker defrosts an Air China aircraft at Hongqiao airport.
About 100 aircraft were defrosted at Shanghai’s Pudong and Hongqiao airports on Wednesday morning to ensure punctuality amid freezing temperatures.
The average on-time rate of takeoff flights at the airports reached 98 percent on Wednesday despite the extreme weather, the Shanghai Airport Authority said.
Temperatures dropped to minus 7 degrees Celsius at both airports on Tuesday night. They also had severe frost and snow on Wednesday morning.
Airport staff climbed on five-meter-tall defrosting vehicles after midnight to spray de-icing liquid on aircraft. Over 10 vehicles had de-iced 98 passenger aircraft as of Wednesday morning.
Meanwhile, seven de-icing vehicles have been working around the six runways at both airports to ensure safe take-offs and landings. Runway inspectors are patrolling the runways 16 times a day to remove potential icing risks.
The busy cargo transport area at the Pudong airport has also been operating smoothly. The airport staff and porters in hazmat suits have to carry out both de-icing and disinfection measures on inbound aircraft and imported cargo.
Cleaners remove water from the tarmac at Hongqiao airport on Wednesday morning.
The cargo area at Pudong has handled nearly 60,000 tons of products in December, a 10.36 percent increase on year.
Staff at the cargo station have to wear full protection gear. They sweat inside hazmat suits despite the freezing temperature, an official with the station said.
The terminal buildings are also operating normally at both airports. The eateries and stores have extended their opening hours in case flights are delayed. Blankets and hand warmers have been prepared at taxi spots for arriving travelers. The air conditioning, ventilation and pipeline have also received overhauls ahead of the cold front, the airport authority said.
Air traffic control predicted the takeoff and landing capacity to decrease by 30 percent at the Pudong and Hongqiao airports on Tuesday night, while the airports and airlines have been working jointly to ensure punctuality, the airport authority said.
China Eastern Airlines launched de-icing procedure at 3am to defrost eight aircraft at Pudong and 64 jetliners at Hongqiao , the Shanghai-based carrier said.
An airport worker disinfects imported cargo at Pudong airport.
Two airport staff maintain runway lighting at Pudong airport on Tuesday night.
