The Snow Has To Go

Samedan, 8am. The car is on the apron, the bags are on board, and the meeting in London won't wait. Then the Captain steps off the aircraft with news: snow has settled on the wings overnight.

Now you're in the queue for the de-icing rig. The clock is running, and so, quietly, is the bill.

We can't make the snow disappear. But with a little planning, we can take the bite out of what it costs.

What actually happens

By law, every trace of ice and frost must go before take-off. And it's the Captain’s call.

First, hot fluid clears the ice. Then the specialist team apply a thicker coat to hold it off, but only for so long. Miss the window, through a queue, a slipped slot or a late arrival, and it all starts again.

Same fluid. Same bill. Twice.

The sting in the tail

It's decided so late that no one can quote it in advance. It depends on the aircraft, the weather and the airport, and many airports have a single supplier, so there's no shopping around.

Treatment can run into the thousands. Double it if it needs to be applied twice (that small delay or missed slot). And the bill lands after the trip, sometimes months later, when the trip is just a memory.

Preventing the sting

What do we do? Quite a lot, as it happens.

• Hangar the aircraft overnight where we can, or warm it through before you arrive.
• Board you inside the hangar where the airport allows, so you roll out dry.
• Time the treatment to your arrival, so it's done once.
• Choose the airport with the weather in mind, when there's a choice.

It all helps. But hangar space runs out, and some mornings there's no way round it.

When there's no way round it

We offer a De-Icing Supplement to your booking. One fixed fee per departure covers any de-icing your flight needs, including a second round.

From £400 / €480 per departure, depending on the size of aircraft.

Available on flights booked by 31 December 2026, added at the time of booking. Non-refundable. Excludes departures from the USA, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, and repeat treatment resulting from late passenger arrival. Full terms on request.

Ask your SHY Aviation Adviser to add it to your winter booking. Then the only thing on your mind in Samedan is that meeting in London.