When travelling around the world during winter season, snow is to be expected is some countries. Although snow transforms an ordinary landscape into a spectacular scenery, that’s not the case with the aircraft. De-icing is a very important safety measure which should not be avoided or rushed. The cost is not standard, as it depends on the size of the aircraft, the amount of precipitation and the type of fluid that it is used.
Because de-icing cannot be predicted and it is an unexpected decision made by your flight crew, it is not included in the cost of your flight quotation. If travelling at countries that are known to have a heavy winter, de-icing should be expected and considered as a possible cost. The bill for the de-icing procedure can start from a few hundred euro’s and go as high as 10,000 euro which depends on the type of aircraft being used and the weather. Other aircraft may need a quick spray over and others may require more than one treatment.
Holdover time (HOT)
Is the measurement used for the de-icing fluid, which is the amount of time an aircraft can wait after being treated. This amount of time depends on a variety of factors. Some of them could be: wind, humidity, temperature, aircraft skin temperature.
Type of Fluids
There are two types of fluid used for de-icing procedures, type I and type IV. When Type I fluids are used, the holdover varies from 5 to up to 15 minutes. Concluding that the aircraft must leave immediately from the airport or else de-icing procedures will have to be repeated.
However, type fluid IV can have a holdover time from 30 to 80 minutes and will probably have a higher cost. The departure airport may or may not have all types of fluids.
Hangar
On the other hand, the risk of de-icing can be prevented if you request a hangar to keep your jet inside until the time of the departure. If the hangar is available, an extra charge will be applied. Have in mind, that a hangar is generally cheaper than the de-icing procedure. For the avoidance of not finding a hangar, when travelling to countries where precipitation should be expected, request for a hangar in advance. This happens because the closer date of the flight comes, the lower the possibility of finding a hangar by other aircrafts. Make sure to organize your departure time according to the de-icing, if this step is not made the flight will delayed. Do not hesitate to contact the Air Business International Consultant for any further discussion of the options.
Source: http://www.magellanjets.com/blog/de-icing-and-what-to-expect-this-winter-season
