Exterior Dry Wash at Catania Fontanarossa (LICC)
Waterless exterior cleaning on the Sicilian ramp—volcanic ash, sea salt and handler coordination
Exterior Dry Wash at Catania Fontanarossa serves flight departments operating super-midsize through ultra-long-range business jets into Sicily's busiest airport. We perform complete waterless cleaning on the apron using aviation-approved rinseless products, removing bug strikes, exhaust deposits, hydraulic film and the volcanic ash fallout that periodically affects aircraft parked here. The work is coordinated through your handling agent, completed during turnaround or overnight, and documented with a digital photo report for your tech log.
08/26 · 2560 m
AIP and airport data39 ft
4.3 km
Catania city (Universal Weather: 4.5 km; it.wikipedia: 5.5 km SE)What does an exterior dry wash include at this airport?
The service covers the entire exterior envelope: fuselage from radome to tail cone, upper and lower wing surfaces, empennage, nacelles and all exterior glazing. We remove bug residue from leading edges and windscreens, degrease the belly and gear bays, clean exhaust staining around APU and engine outlets, and wipe down exterior lights and static ports using no-touch techniques.
Brightwork—leading edges, nacelle lips, door handles—receives a light polish to lift oxidation and restore reflectivity. We use only pH-neutral, biodegradable waterless products that leave a hydrophobic barrier, so the aircraft sheds moisture and stays cleaner between washes. No pressure washers, no hoses, no runoff into the apron drains.
Duration ranges from three hours for a super-midsize to eight hours for an ACJ or ultra-long-range airframe. If Mount Etna has been active and ash has settled on the paint, we add a pre-clean step with microfibre bonnets to lift abrasive particles before the main wash, protecting the clear coat.
What changes at Catania Fontanarossa?
Catania Fontanarossa sits at thirty-nine feet elevation, four kilometres south-east of the city, with a single runway—08/26, 2,560 metres. The airport is fully slot-coordinated under Assoclearance Level 3 rules, so every general-aviation arrival and departure requires a slot obtained through your handling agent. Plan the dry wash during a scheduled overnight or a longer daytime turnaround; last-minute requests depend entirely on slot availability and ramp congestion.
The defining operational factor here is Mount Etna. The volcano's ash emissions trigger periodic closures—usually brief, but fallout coats parked aircraft in fine, abrasive dust. An X-band radar monitors ash clouds in real time, and when the airport reopens, every aircraft on the apron needs decontamination before flight. Volcanic ash is harder than paint and will scratch the clear coat if wiped dry, so we pre-rinse or use a waterless pre-clean with disposable bonnets before the main wash.
Catania operates as an airport of entry with full customs, and SAC—the airport authority—manages all airside access. Your handler arranges our escort pass and coordinates stand allocation. Mediterranean summer heat accelerates the curing of bug strikes and exhaust residue; winter brings sea salt from the Ionian coast, which bonds to the fuselage and requires more dwell time during degreasing.
How do we coordinate with the handling agent?
Every dry wash at Catania begins with handler coordination. We do not hold our own airside pass here; the handling agent arranges the escort, confirms the stand location, verifies that GPU or APU power will keep the aircraft secure, and ensures the crew or engineer is available to open panels if belly or gear-bay access is needed.
Lead time matters in a slot-coordinated environment. Notify us and your handler at least twenty-four hours before arrival—forty-eight if you want the wash completed during a short turnaround. The handler will confirm ramp availability, check for any volcanic-ash advisories that might delay or extend the work, and issue the escort paperwork. If Etna has been active, we bring additional pre-clean supplies and factor extra time into the schedule.
Once on stand, we check in with the handler's ramp supervisor, photograph the aircraft's condition, and begin the wash. If the slot is tight or weather is closing in, the handler may ask us to pause and reposition the aircraft, so we work in stages that can be interrupted safely. At completion, we hand the photo report to the crew or upload it directly to your flight department, and the handler signs us off the apron.
Why does volcanic ash require a different approach?
Volcanic ash from Mount Etna is glass-sharp—silica particles with a Mohs hardness around 5 to 6, harder than automotive clear coat. If you wipe it dry or use a standard waterless spray immediately, you will score the paint. After an ash event, we first lift the bulk of the particles with a soft air blow or a damp microfibre bonnet, then apply a high-lubricity pre-clean solution to encapsulate any remaining dust before the main wash.
The airport's X-band radar gives advance warning, but ash can settle quickly when the wind shifts. If your aircraft has been on stand during a fall, inspect the upper surfaces before departure; even a light dusting needs removal. We carry pre-clean kits in the van specifically for ash decon, and the process adds roughly thirty to sixty minutes to the standard dry-wash timeline.
Ash also infiltrates seams, door gaps and the spaces around static ports. We use low-pressure air and detail brushes to clear these areas, then verify that all ports and sensors are clean and covers are reinstalled. The photo report includes close-ups of leading edges, pitot probes and static ports so your engineer has visual confirmation before flight.
What about Mediterranean climate and sea salt?
Catania's coastal location brings year-round salt exposure, especially when the scirocco blows north from Africa or sea breezes come off the Ionian. Salt bonds to the fuselage, mixes with hydraulic mist around the gear, and accelerates corrosion on exposed brightwork. A dry wash every two to four weeks keeps the salt load manageable and prevents the white crust that forms if deposits are left for months.
Summer temperatures on the black asphalt apron regularly exceed thirty-five degrees Celsius, which bakes bug strikes and exhaust soot into the paint within hours. We schedule early-morning or late-afternoon washes when possible to avoid working in full sun, and we use products with extended dwell times to soften baked-on residue without scrubbing.
Winter is milder but wetter, and the combination of rain, salt and dust creates a tenacious film on the belly and nacelles. Degreasing takes longer, and we often make two passes on the lower fuselage and gear doors. The waterless chemistry we use here is formulated for high-salinity environments, leaving a polymer layer that sheds moisture and delays the next salt buildup.
What documentation and reporting do you provide?
Every exterior dry wash concludes with a digital photo report: time-stamped images of the fuselage, wings, empennage, nacelles, gear bays and brightwork, uploaded to a secure link or delivered on a USB stick. The report includes before-and-after shots of any heavy soiling—belly stains, exhaust residue, ash deposits—and close-ups of static ports, pitot probes and antennas to confirm no-touch protocols were followed.
If we identify paint damage, corrosion, fluid leaks or loose fasteners during the wash, we note them in the report with annotated photographs and GPS coordinates on the airframe. This gives your maintenance team a head start on inspections and helps satisfy audit trails for appearance programs or pre-purchase surveys.
The report also records the products used, ambient temperature, any volcanic-ash precautions taken, and the names of the handler and escort. If you need the documentation formatted for a specific tech-log system or translated, let us know at booking. We keep records for twenty-four months and can provide duplicate reports on request.
Questions operators ask about Exterior Dry Wash at Catania Fontanarossa
How far in advance should we book an exterior dry wash at Catania?
Twenty-four hours minimum; forty-eight hours if you need turnaround cleaning or if volcanic ash is forecast. Catania is slot-coordinated, so handler coordination takes time. Twenty-four hours gives us and the handling agent enough runway to arrange escort, confirm the stand and schedule the crew. If Mount Etna is active or you want the wash completed during a tight turnaround, forty-eight hours is safer.
Can you clean the aircraft if volcanic ash has settled on it?
Yes, we use a specialised pre-clean protocol to lift abrasive ash particles before the main waterless wash. Volcanic ash is harder than paint, so we never wipe it dry. We first remove bulk particles with air or damp bonnets, then apply a high-lubricity pre-clean solution to encapsulate remaining dust. The process adds thirty to sixty minutes but protects the clear coat from scratching.
Do we need to arrange airside access, or does the handler do that?
The handling agent arranges our escort and airside pass; you do not need to do anything beyond notifying them of the service. We do not hold a permanent pass at Catania, so the handler coordinates the escort, confirms ramp access and signs us on and off the apron. Just tell your handler when you book that you have arranged a third-party dry wash, and they will handle the paperwork.
How long does a dry wash take for a super-midsize jet?
Three to four hours for a super-midsize, longer if volcanic ash decontamination or heavy belly degreasing is needed. A clean super-midsize with light soiling takes three hours; if the belly is oily, the nacelles are heavily stained, or ash has fallen, expect four hours. Ultra-long-range and ACJ airframes take six to eight hours. We give you a firm time estimate when you book, based on the aircraft type and current apron conditions.
What if the slot changes or the aircraft diverts?
We reschedule at no charge if you notify us as soon as the slot or routing changes. Volcanic ash, weather and slot coordination all cause last-minute changes at Catania. If your arrival shifts or you divert, contact us and the handler immediately. We will move the booking to the new window or the next day without penalty, provided we have reasonable notice.
Is water allowed on the ramp at Catania, or must it be fully waterless?
Waterless is preferred and avoids environmental-runoff questions; rinse water is possible but requires handler approval. The dry-wash chemistry we use is fully waterless and leaves no runoff, which simplifies handler coordination and environmental compliance. If you prefer a light rinse after degreasing, we can arrange it through the handler, but waterless is faster and avoids apron-drainage restrictions.
Do you clean the landing gear and gear bays?
Yes, we degrease the gear legs, doors and visible bay areas as part of every exterior dry wash. Gear and belly degreasing is standard: we remove hydraulic film, brake dust and oil stains from the struts, bogies, doors and bay edges. If you need deeper bay cleaning or want us to open panels, arrange it with your crew or engineer before we start, and we will coordinate the additional access.
What products do you use, and are they safe for all paint types?
We use pH-neutral, biodegradable waterless cleaners approved for all OEM paint systems and vinyl wraps. Every product is aviation-specific, pH-balanced and tested on factory paint, custom liveries and vinyl graphics. The chemistry leaves a hydrophobic polymer layer that sheds water and dust, extending the time between washes. We avoid alkaline or solvent-based cleaners that can dull matte finishes or lift decals.
Will you provide a report for our maintenance records?
Yes, every wash includes a digital photo report with time stamps, product list and notes on any paint or airframe issues. The report is uploaded to a secure link or delivered on USB, with before-and-after images, close-ups of static ports and antennas, and annotations for any damage or leaks we spot. If you need it formatted for a specific tech-log system or audit, tell us at booking.
Can you work overnight or during crew rest?
Yes, if the handler can provide apron access and GPU or APU power to keep the aircraft secure. Overnight washes are common for long turnarounds or positioning stops. The handler must confirm that the stand will not be reassigned, that power is available, and that an engineer or crew member can meet us to open the aircraft if needed. We work quietly and use low-intensity lighting to avoid disturbing nearby operations.