Unlike highways, airports cannot use salt for deicing because salt is corrosive to airplanes. Although some chemical deicers are available, the deicers have negative impacts on environment.

No, airports strictly avoid using traditional rock salt (sodium chloride) on runways because it is highly corrosive to aircraft components. The aluminum and composite materials used in modern planes can be severely damaged by the corrosive nature of salt, leading to structural integrity issues and expensive repairs. Instead, airports use specialized Runway De-icing Fluids (RDF) and solid chemicals that are specifically engineered to be non-corrosive. The most common alternatives are Potassium Acetate, Sodium Formate, and Sodium Acetate. These chemicals work by lowering the freezing point of water without the harmful "salt-spray" effect. Additionally, for the aircraft themselves, a mixture of heated water and propylene glycol (Type I and Type IV fluids) is sprayed onto the wings and fuselage to remove ice and prevent it from reforming during takeoff. While these specialized chemicals are much more expensive than common road salt, they are essential for the safe operation of multi-million dollar aircraft. Airports also rely heavily on mechanical methods, such as massive high-speed snow plows and specialized brushes, to physically remove snow before chemical treatment is even necessary.