Strike At Potash Factory Causes Shortage Of Main Ingredient For De-Icers, Threatens Flight Shortages

December 5, 2008 7:32 a.m. EST

Washington, D.C (AHN) - The Federal Aviation Authority warned on Thursday of possible flight shortages because of a 99-day strike at a Canadian potash mine, which resulted to a lack of a chemical used as de-icers at airport runways.

As winter starts, many airports will be covered with snow and ice, normally removed by de-icing fluid which uses potash as main ingredient in manufacturing the fluid. While airports which are icebound may use alternative chemicals, it would jack up their cost and even pose some environmental problems.

The Canadian potash mine strike actually ended in November, but it may take months for the de-icer manufacturers to produce sufficient stock. Cyrotech, a major producer of the chemical potassium acetate said it could only produce 2 to 3 million gallons of the fluid, while last year it was able to churn out 9 million.

The FAA had warned in a memo on Oct. 29 to airlines that because of the de-icer liquid shortage, runways may fail to maintain the same level of safety compared to previous years.

Meanwhile, the FAA broke ground on Thursday for a new FAA Air Traffic Control System Command Center which will house its state-of-the-art facilities near Warrenton in Virginia by 2011. The 63,000-square foot building will share the facility with the FAA's Potomac Tracon, a consolidated approach and departure control facility which serves the Washington, Baltimore and Richmond-area gateways.

The current command center, located near Washington Dulles International Airport, will close when its lease ends in 2011.