First in Europe to use infrared deicing

SAS Ground Services Norway AS (SGS Norway) is to be the first ground handler in Europe to test out infrared deicing of aircraft. A hangar for infrared deicing is currently being rigged up at Oslo Airport.

Together with Radiant and Oslo Lufthavn AS, which owns and runs Oslo Airport, SGS Norway will test out the use of infrared heat waves to deice aircraft. Aircraft deiced by this method taxi through a specially built hangar in which snow and ice are removed by heat waves. Infrared deicing reduces runoff of the chemical glycol by around 70%. “It is part of our strategy of testing new products within ground handling, so that we can offer our airlines more efficient, economic and environmentally friendly products in the future,” says Ola H. Strand, Managing Director of SGS Norway. The deicing hangar is expected to be taken into use for testing early next year and will supplement standard deicing for the rest of the winter season. “Oslo Airport is a modern airport and considers it only natural to adapt to our customers’ new ways of thinking. We consider the reduction in chemical runoff provided by the new method to be a positive factor and see this as a valuable contribution to our work on looking after the environment at the airport,” says Nic Nilsen, Managing Director of Oslo Lufthavn AS. “We have had good experience in the USA and are looking forward to starting up infrared deicing in Europe. We are pleased that SGS Norway and Oslo Lufthavn are positive towards taking this new method into use,” says Svein Utkilen of Radiant. For further information, please contact: Ola H. Strand, President of SGS Norway, tel. +47 95 71 80 42, e-mail ola-henrik.strand@sas.no