Winter weather presents one of the most critical operational challenges for airports worldwide. Snowfall, freezing rain, and ice accumulation can severely compromise runway friction, aircraft braking performance, and ground handling safety. Even short delays in runway deicing can disrupt flight schedules, increase fuel consumption, and elevate safety risks for passengers and crew.
Traditionally, airports have relied on chloride-based deicing salts such as sodium chloride and calcium chloride to keep runways operational. While effective at melting ice, these materials come with significant drawbacks. Chloride salts are highly corrosive to aircraft structures, runway reinforcement steel, lighting systems, and ground service equipment.
Over time, this corrosion leads to increased maintenance costs, shortened asset lifespans, and higher operational risks. In response to these challenges, airports are increasingly turning to Calcium Magnesium Acetate (CMA) as a high-performance, low-corrosion runway deicing solution that aligns safety, sustainability, and long-term cost control.
What Is CMA Deicer?
Calcium Magnesium Acetate (CMA) is a non-chloride deicing agent produced by reacting acetic acid with calcium and magnesium compounds. Unlike traditional chloride salts, CMA does not rely on aggressive ionic reactions that attack metals or concrete surfaces.
This fundamental chemical difference makes CMA uniquely suited for sensitive aviation environments where aircraft integrity and infrastructure longevity are critical.
Physically, CMA is available in granular or pellet form and dissolves readily when applied to icy surfaces. Rather than aggressively penetrating materials, CMA works by disrupting the bond between ice and the pavement surface, weakening adhesion and allowing easier mechanical removal while reducing the risk of refreezing.
From a regulatory perspective, CMA is widely recognized within the aviation industry. It meets relevant FAA guidance and is compatible with aviation material standards commonly referenced by SAE and airport engineering authorities, making it a trusted option for runway, taxiway, and apron deicing operations.
Why CMA Is the Preferred Choice for Airports
Extremely Low Corrosivity
One of the most significant advantages of CMA is its exceptionally low corrosive impact on aircraft and airport infrastructure.
Compared with traditional chloride-based deicers, CMA provides effective ice control while significantly reducing damage to both aircraft and runway assets:
- Protects aircraft aluminum alloys, landing gear assemblies, and fasteners
- Reduces corrosion-related inspections and component replacement
- Minimizes concrete scaling and steel reinforcement corrosion
- Extends the service life of runways, taxiways, and aprons
By lowering corrosion rates across critical assets, CMA helps airports and airlines reduce long-term maintenance costs and operational disruptions.
Strong Environmental Performance
Environmental responsibility is now a core priority for modern airports, and CMA aligns closely with sustainability objectives.
Unlike chloride salts that accumulate in soil and water, CMA offers a more environmentally balanced deicing solution:
- Non-toxic to aquatic organisms and surrounding ecosystems
- Does not cause long-term soil or groundwater salinization
- Safe for airport perimeter vegetation and landscaped areas
- Readily biodegradable in soil and water
These characteristics help airports meet environmental compliance requirements while maintaining reliable winter operations.
Reliable Ice Melting and Anti-Icing Performance
CMA delivers consistent and predictable ice control performance across a wide range of winter operating conditions.
While CMA may act more gradually than highly aggressive chloride salts, its strength lies in sustained effectiveness rather than short-term reaction intensity.
CMA maintains anti-icing conditions for longer periods, reducing the frequency of reapplication during prolonged snow events.
This extended performance window supports smoother airport operations, lower material consumption, and improved coordination between airfield maintenance teams.
In cold climates, CMA remains stable and effective at temperatures commonly encountered in aviation winter operations, making it suitable for airports in North America, Northern Europe, and other cold-weather regions.
Economic Impact: Safety That Also Saves Money
At first glance, the higher unit price of CMA compared to traditional deicing salts may raise cost concerns.
However, when evaluated from a total cost-of-ownership perspective, CMA often delivers superior long-term economic value.
Beyond material cost alone, CMA helps airports reduce expenses across multiple operational and financial dimensions:
- Lower aircraft and infrastructure maintenance costs
- Reduced runway downtime and operational disruptions
- Longer asset replacement cycles
- Lower environmental compliance and remediation costs
By shifting deicing from a short-term expense to a long-term asset protection strategy, CMA supports more predictable budgeting and improved lifecycle cost control.
Global Case Studies and Adoption Trends
Many major international airports have already integrated CMA into their winter maintenance programs. Airports in North America and Northern Europe, where severe winter conditions intersect with strict environmental standards, have been among the earliest adopters.
Ground operations managers at these facilities frequently report improved runway surface conditions, reduced infrastructure degradation, and smoother coordination between deicing teams and airfield maintenance crews.
Feedback consistently highlights CMA’s reliability and its role in preserving long-term airport assets.
These real-world applications demonstrate that CMA is not an experimental solution but a proven, operationally mature technology.
Integrating CMA into Airport Deicing Operations
CMA can be implemented as part of a flexible and scalable deicing strategy tailored to individual airport requirements. Some airports deploy CMA as a primary runway deicer, while others integrate it into blended approaches alongside limited chloride use during extreme conditions.
From an operational standpoint, CMA integrates easily into existing winter maintenance systems:
- Compatible with most existing spreading and spraying equipment
- Minimal infrastructure modification required
- Flexible integration with established deicing strategies
With proper training and optimized application rates, CMA can be seamlessly adopted without disrupting established airport operations.
Conclusion
As the aviation industry moves toward safer, more sustainable, and more resilient operations, runway deicing strategies must evolve accordingly.
Calcium Magnesium Acetate represents a clear shift away from corrosive, environmentally damaging practices toward solutions that protect aircraft, infrastructure, and surrounding ecosystems at the same time.
By balancing operational safety, asset protection, and environmental responsibility, CMA has become a preferred runway deicing choice for airports worldwide and a key component of the future of sustainable aviation operations.