Aircraft Deicing for Private Jet Charter

If you’ve ever read though an aircraft charter agreement from start to finish, whether it be The Early Air Way’s or any other charter company’s, you’ll most likely notice a hangaring and deicing clause.

By law, for your safety, aircraft may not take-off with ice and snow buildup on their exterior moving surfaces. Airports use a deicing solution to quickly melt the ice on aircraft and make an icy plane airworthy. This de-icing solution is surprisingly expensive, average $10.00 to $20.00 USD per gallon. Generally, a lot of de-icing solution is required to prepare an aircraft for flight. Both the size of the effected aircraft as well as the severity of the snow and ice buildup will dictate the quantity of de-icing solution to be used.

Unfortunately for charter consumers and aircraft owners alike, aircraft deicing will be billed to you. The Early Air Way bills deicing to its clients as does every other charter company you’ll find. This is very important to know as we enter the winter travel season as your flight could require deicing. If your aircraft is snowed on while on a trip for you, the odds that you’ll require deicing services are pretty good. Deicing an aircraft will generally start at about $500.00 for a light jet with mild icing, however it can go all the way up to about $8,000.00 for a heavy jet with significant ice buildup. Receiving such a bill at the end of a charter may come as an unwelcome surprise, however it is par for the course when it comes to flying private jets.

An alternative to deicing an aircraft for many (but not all) situations is to hangar your aircraft during a snow storm. When available, hangaring an aircraft averages about $350.00 per night and can protect your plane from ice buildup. When available, hangaring your aircraft will often save quite a bit of money when compared to deicing.

Just because you’re flying into a cold place during the winter however does not mean that your plane will require hangaring and deicing. In fact, the majority of our winter flights do not require hangaring and de-icing altogether. The risk for these incidentals is there when flying into cold places, however. No private jet traveler wants to deal with deicing, however its just part of the game of private aviation. Whether you’re flying with The Early Air Way or are with another charter company this winter, knowing about hangaring and de-icing before your trip can save you from any unexpected surprises after you return home from the snow.

Have fun chartering a jet to Aspen, Jackson Hole, Sun Valley, Lake Tahoe, Vail, and all other winter destinations this winter! Chartering a jet to these winter destinations is fantastic; its just good to know about whats involved in doing it.