How much does a deicing cost an airline? Say a basic 737.JimCYWG

I'm not sure, but I know we go through a bit of it on our two jets. I could always ask at work next time I'm in.

Someone told me type IV fluid is close to $10 a gallon.

I could just imagine.JimCYWG

I'm sure it's up there in that range. It's glycol, the same stuff that you put in your car for anti-freeze. I believe I payed just under $10 for a gallon of the pre-mix 40/60 glycol anti-freeze for my car the last time. The de-ice and anti-ice are both glycol, but the de-ice is more like the stuff in your car. It's a mixture of glycol and water, but heated to 180-200 degrees Fahrenheit. I seem to recall the mixture is 40/60 glycol-to-water. Anti-ice fluid is pure glycol and isn't heated. De-ice is colored orange and anti-ice is colored green, at least for UPS anyway. I saw all this stuff on the slides at one point, but I just get in the bucket and spray, I don't buy or fill the trucks so it's mostly slipped out of my head beyond "De-ice is orange and hot, anti-ice is green and ambient temp, and both are sweet when you get back spray in your mouth on a windy day but there's a bitter aftertaste".

I was able to get the information that Type I (de-ice) costs a little over 8 bucks a gallon (but it's cut 60/40 with water) and Type IV (anti-ice) costs around 14 bucks a gallon. That's our cost, not our charge though. I couldn't get them to tell me what they charge for de-icing per gallon.

And what you say makes sense Sentirus. You would use a few gallons for a plane. Thanks for the info.JimCYWG

I think the $8-10 amount sounds about right for I and IV respectively. The only difference between Sentirus and myself would be the 135 vs. 121 operation. I would doubt that our deice costs that much...then again the way my company is run anything's possible.

I think the $8-10 amount sounds about right for I and IV respectively. The only difference between Sentirus and myself would be the 135 vs. 121 operation. I would doubt that our deice costs that much...then again the way my company is run anything's possible.

The fluid likely does cost you that much, but as I said, it's then mixed with water in a 60/40 ratio which makes it cheaper. I want to say it's 60% water and 40% Type I glycol. But I may have it reversed. We got told all this information and I promptly forgot it since I can't mix it, I can only spray it out of the guns.I'm still finding it amusing that Spokane International is completely out of Type IV anti-ice and trying to figure out how to conserve what's in everyone's trucks while they try to get more, which apparently isn't as simple as calling for new deliveries just judging by the panic it's been causing with the various companies that run de-ice trucks.