The ACY Deicing Pad Project was completed in 2024 for the South Jersey Transportation Authority (SJTA). SJTA engaged Michael Baker to design the deicing pad and associated airfield infrastructure. The team designed the pad to accommodate the most demanding aircraft expected to use it and to handle peak departure periods. According to ACY’s Master Plan and the 2025 forecast, the facility was designed to accommodate two narrow-body and one wide-body aircraft. Additionally, the pad can collect 60% of the deicing fluid runoff, meeting the EPA’s proposed new source performance standards for aircraft deicing.
Adjacent to the deicing pad is a paved area that houses support facilities, including clean deicing fluid storage tanks, a deicing control building, a spent glycol fluid collection pump and lift station, and a parking area for operators and deicing vehicles. An access road was also constructed from the existing access/haul road network to the deicing pad, providing vehicle access for deicing operators and control personnel.
The new ACY Deicing Pad enables more environmentally friendly deicing procedures with wider safety margins. Deicing planes at a central pad instead of the gate allows aircraft to depart sooner, reducing the need for repeated deicing and improving airport operations. Such a facility is rare outside major airports, highlighting the project’s uniqueness and innovation.