Mop it up: Canadian North uses manual method to de-ice planes in Cape Dorset
Transport Canada does not specifically say how de-icing must be done, but says manual methods can be used
A low-tech version of airplane de-icing left some passengers shocked in Cape Dorset, Nunavut, this week, but the airline says the method is approved and safe.
After Canadian North's de-icing machine broke down in the hamlet, the airline turned to a different solution: a mop and bucket.
The company's employees have been dousing a mop in de-icing fluid and wiping down airplanes over the course of the week.
"It's recognized by the International Air Transportation Association as an approved method of de-icing a plane," said Kelly Lewis, Canadian North's communications director. "You always have to have back-up procedures in case a piece of equipment breaks.
"So this is a safe way of doing it as long as it's done thoroughly, which our employees are trained to do."
Transport Canada's guidelines don't specifically state what methods must be used to apply de-icing fluid to an aircraft. However, they do state that in some circumstances, manual methods may be the only option of de-icing, and suggest brooms, brushes, ropes and scrapers as some of the more common devices used.
The drawback to using a mop, said Lewis, is that a mop uses more fluid and takes longer than a traditional de-icing machine, which sprays fluid over the aircraft. He says that the mop is a temporary measure — parts to fix the de-icer arrived in Iqaluit Thursday and should be in Cape Dorset Friday.
with files from Kieran Oudshoorn