Water and soil protection

A sophisticated system is used to drain surface water from the paved or sealed surfaces of the two runways at the airport. This system includes slot gutter collectors, canals, trenches and troughs along the flight operation areas. Light-liquid separators make sure that, in the case of heavy rains, any raw operational materials which may be present are filtered out. The rain water undergoes a quality check and, if necessary, is placed into a clarifier basin.

It is then let, in small amounts, into the surrounding streams through rainwater retention basins. The sewage system can be controlled and supervised using the most modern technology. In this way, the highest level of safety and cleanliness can be ensured for the surrounding soil and waterways:

• Protection against flooding caused by heavy rains using storage systems and regulated water release
• The use of retention reservoirs which are cordoned off to prevent the release of dangerous or toxic substances into surrounding waters

Alongside their primary task of fire and catastrophe control, the airport fire department is - especially in the case of disasters - responsible for the protection of water and soil.

In serious cases, an emergency plan which coordinates the actions of the airport fire department, local fire brigades, technical aid organizations as well as responsible parties from environmental protection agencies is in place. Small amounts of kerosene, leaked during aircraft fueling, are treated with a binding agent or collected by the airport fire department using a special instrument. The kerosene is then disposed of properly.

The airport’s winter service (e.g. road clearance) uses modern technology to help keep the environment clean. Air safety should, when possible, be ensured without the use of chemical substances. If necessary, biodegradable agents with a formate basis are used for the deicing of flight operation areas.

The aircraft themselves are deiced in a separate area using a glycol water mixture. In this way, superfluous deicing agents can be collected and placed in an underground container in order to be disposed of properly. Improvements have been made to the deicing procedures in place for both the northern and southern runways. The deicing stations have been placed directly next to the taxiways so that the aircraft can be deiced directly before takeoff and less deicing agent is required.