A $330 million project intended to help get goods delivered to FedEx consumers in a time efficient manner amid winter weather has been completed at Memphis International Airport.
According to a Nov. 29 release from Memphis International Airport, the new 3.3 million-square-foot de-icing pads at the transport company’s largest air cargo sorting facility will enable 12 wide-body aircraft to be de-iced simultaneously. It is expected to help streamline airline operations, as well as reduce cancellations and delays.
“In America's supply chains, every piece matters - including these de-icing facilities at North America's largest air cargo hub,” Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said in a Dec. 8 Twitter post. “This is how we're getting results for American consumers and small businesses.”
The de-icing project at Memphis International received $174 million in funding by Federal Aviation Administration and $135 million from Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority, according to the airport's release.
A Nov. 29 U.S. Department of Transportation news release states part of the innovation of these pads is that fewer personnel are involved in accomplishing the same task as lead-in lights replace marshallers and infrared cameras help position airplanes in the de-icing bays. Aircrafts will also be able to depart sooner since the de-icing operations will occur at the central pad instead of the gate.
In addition, the new facility represents more environmentally friendly de-icing operations, according to a Federal Aviation Administration release. There are separate drainage systems and large-volume containers to collect de-icing fluid that is then released under discretion into the sanitary sewer system. The fluid breaks down and helps to sanitize city wastewater.
