The first snowfalls of the new year have been announced for the coming weekend. In order to guarantee safe flight operations around the clock even under these weather conditions, winter services are available at Munich Airport from the beginning of November to mid-April.

When there is ice and snow, the winter service team moves out at the airport. It comprises 181 vehicles, including 66 tractors from the surrounding area. A total of more than 630 men and women are deployed in winter services, around 540 of whom come from agriculture and haulage companies in the region. Up to 190 emergency services per shift ensure that areas within the airport fence are free of snow and ice. This winter, the airport's winter service had to be deployed on 22 days, the airport informs.

Not only the traffic areas of the airport have to be kept in a safe condition during the cold season: snow and ice also have to be cleared from the aircraft before take-off. This is done by the so-called "polar bears" of the Society for Deicing and Aircraft Towing at Munich Airport (EFM), a subsidiary of Deutsche Lufthansa AG and Munich Airport. "Polar bears" are special vehicles that spray de-icing agent onto the aircraft immediately before take-off. EFM de-icing up to 15.000 aircraft - from Learjet to Airbus A380 - per year. The used de-icing agent is collected and largely recycled.