Mop it up: Canadian North uses manual method to de-ice planes in Cape Dorset

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.

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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 Associationas 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 apiece 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 guidelinesdon't specifically state what methods must be used to apply de-icing fluidto an aircraft. However, they do state that in some circumstances, manual methods may be the only option of de-icing, and suggest brooms, brushes, ropesand 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 Thursdayand should be in Cape Dorset Friday.