Well, I'm sorry to have to say that Manchester de-icing on Thursday was a shambles. I personally waited 6 hours to be de-iced after it stopped snowing at 1130. We had originally been ready to push at 0845 so all in all we had a 9 and a half hour delay.
De-icing recommenced soon after it stopped snowing but we could'nt get any information as to when we might get done and could only sit watching de-icing trucks criss crossing the airport.
We witnessed the plight of the Emirates 777, which seemed to be being de-iced by only one truck and listened to the exasperated voice of the Captain reporting that it had taken them ONE AND A HALF HOURS to de-ice ONE wing!!! Indeed a few stands away, it took them over an hour to de-ice an A320.
We watched as the Emirates A380 waited on the taxiway, engines running for over an hour waiting for the 777 to vacate the stand. How much fuel that wasted only the 380 crew know.
Apart from being frustating, the whole situation was, quite frankly, extremely embarrasing. No doubt there will be plently of excuses and sloping shoulders, but from where I was sitting, watching it through the whole sorry saga, there seemed to be far too few resources and not much of a plan. I hate to think what would have happened if it had really snowed, but in that case i guess we'd have all packed up and gone home.