Originally Posted by Willie Everlearn
I find it odd that persons claiming to be professional pilots point out the "cost" of de-icing fluids and how expensive it is for the airlines. Yet, I've not spoken with a single colleague who can give me the price per liter/gallon.
I'd say Fuel is what costs the airline, not deicing fluid (seasonal item) but you don't see many pilots taking a pass on extra fuel accounted for on the OFP just to save the company some bucks.
Why scrimp on deicing fluid in a country victimized by ice and snow?
This will give you some idea of how much it costs to de-ice an Ilyushin 76 cargo airplane.
On Jan. 12, 2006 our employees working at Winnipeg Airport de-iced an Ilyushin 76 cargo airplane. More than 4,200 litres of glycol was used to remove the frost and snow. The flight was carrying military supplies from Winnipeg to Kandahar, Afghanistan.
Depending upon the type of spray the cost could range approximately from $2000 for a narrow body to more then $10,000 for a wide body.
Now you can understand the reluctance of the “Owners” to spend the money to de-ice. It costs money to do the job right..