(Might a glassy-ice surface, created with pumped water, under durable winter freeze conditions be ideal? Does a jet need – or even necessarily want – any ground traction to take off?)
One person proposed coating the runway with linseed oil to keep the ice from forming. Desperate, the AF tried it.
It did keep the ice off. However, the first jet that rolled onto the runway and came to a stop, slowly but surely slid off the runway. Then they had an even more expensive operation to remove the oil.
Some traction is needed until the airplane is moving fast enough so the control surfaces work. Otherwise, off the side of the runway you go.
1. pilots aren't trained to do that
2. the engine response to changing throttle positions is pretty slow. Imagine trying drive a car when you turn the wheel, and ten seconds later the car starts to turn
3. the pilot is already very busy during takeoff
(I kid, I kid...)
Ground traction is, however, quite useful in aborting a take-off.
Traction is needed to fight crosswind.
in that region, maybe they get enough snow that they don't need to truck in water....