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brooklynite

(96,882 posts)
3. An airline called ALASKA isn't running the airport.
Fri Dec 31, 2021, 10:23 AM
Dec 2021

There are three key elements adding to the delay.

1. At these low temperature, and with high moisture in the atmosphere, every plane needs to be de-iced before takeoff, a process that takes about 20 minutes per plan, plus time for the de-icing trucks to reload. Anchorage has plenty of de-icing equipment because they have four-five months of low-temperature conditions. Seattle doesn't.

2. As I said on Monday (when I got out of Seattle after a four hour delay) they're generally unprepared for snow and cold weather. Road conditions are terrible and transit falls apart so its harder for crews to get to the airport.

3. Seattle is spiking in COVID cases. Test positivity is now at 50%. So fewer staff are available to work.

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