Market Challenges And Opportunities

Aircraft De-Icing Market - Drivers

Strict winter weather regulations: The safety of aircraft and their passengers is of utmost importance in the airline industry. With winter weather conditions like snow, sleet, and freezing rain posing several hazards, effective de-icing of aircraft before take-off is absolutely essential. Over the past few decades, weather-related aircraft accidents caused by contaminated wings or engines have highlighted the need for stringent de-icing standard operating procedures. International and national aviation regulators have consequently mandated airlines to follow prescribed de-icing protocols which involve specific holdover times and checks before take-off clearance. While this has undoubtedly enhanced flight safety in winters, it has also increased the de-icing requirements for airports and airlines. With regulations becoming more robust over the years to address even lesser holdover times, the demand for advanced de-icing equipment and fluids is expected to rise substantially. Airports are investing heavily in new de-icing trucks that can tackle more aircraft in lesser time while meeting the regulatory emissions norms. Airlines also need to periodically upgrade their de-icing fleets and training programs to be compliant. The tightening compliance environment driven by safety agencies is a major driver propelling the aircraft de-icing market forward.
Climatic changes impacting winter operations: Global warming trends over the past decades have altered weather patterns around the world. Winters are becoming less predictable with increasing instances of freezing rain events instead of traditional snowfall. Such conditions pose even greater risks to aircraft as freezing rain can create an extremely smooth and transparent layer of ice on surfaces. It is much more difficult to detect this type of ice accumulation visually as compared to snow. At the same time, the average temperature variability during winters has also risen at many airports. All these climate changes have significantly impacted aircraft ground de-icing needs. The holdover times of existing de-icing fluids have reduced as ice adheres faster in some conditions than their approval testing scenarios. Airports experience longer de-icing seasons where early winter and late winter weeks also require de-icing equipment and crews to be on standby. The unpredictability caused by climate change is proving to be a challenge for flight operations planning. It is driving both airports and airlines to invest in newer technologies for aircraft de-icing to maintain safety compliance amid these fluctuating winter scenarios. This presents considerable opportunities for manufacturers of advanced de-icing fluids, trucks, and other systems catering to the evolving climatic conditions.

Aircraft De-Icing Market-Opportunities

Alternative technologies to glycol-based de-icing fluids: Glycol-based de-icing fluids are currently the standard in the aircraft de-icing market. Sources says that the Propylene glycol-based de-icing fluids are widely used in the aircraft de-icing market due to their effectiveness in removing ice and preventing ice formation on aircraft surfaces. Type I fluids, which are a heated mixture of propylene glycol and water, are particularly effective and have a rapid dilution rate under precipitation conditions, making them the most commonly used type of de-icing fluid. Ethylene glycol-based de-icing fluids are also used but are less common due to their higher toxicity compared to propylene glycol-based fluids.

New brine-based technologies have emerged that could provide a glycol-free option without compromising on safety or effectiveness. Being much less hazardous than glycols, these alternative fluids do not contaminate surface water or soil on the ground like glycols can. This reduced toxicity will become increasingly important as more airports aim to achieve environmental certifications and minimize their pollution footprint.

This creates a major opportunity for alternative technologies to fill this need in a more sustainable way. Government regulations are also driving this shift away from glycols. The U.S. has designated glycols as a pollutant under the Clean Water Act due to the dangers they pose to the environment and wildlife. Similarly, the European Commission has rated glycols as hazardous to the aquatic environment. As regulations tighten on glycol usage in coming years, airports will need compliant substitutes. New alternative technologies offer this compliance while removing the environmental and legal risks of using glycols.

Growth opportunities in cargo aircraft segment: The cargo aircraft segment within the aircraft de-icing market provides several growth opportunities looking ahead over the next few years. With the continued rise in global trade and e-commerce, demand for air freight and cargo transportation is expected to increase substantially. According to projections (2020) from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the volume of air cargo transported globally is estimated to more than double by the year 2040 compared to 2020 levels. As air cargo traffic increases sharply, there will be a growing need for efficient de-icing procedures especially at larger cargo hub airports around the world with high volumes of cargo aircraft operations.

Adopting new de-icing technologies tailored for cargo aircraft can help upgrade the de-icing process and make it more optimized for the cargo segment. Some aircraft like Boeing 747 freighters that are widely used for cargo have unique designs like side hatches that require specialized de-icing methods. Developing de-icers that can cover such hard to reach areas effectively will improve performance.

With the boom in e-commerce and just-in-time delivery models, the demand for timely cargo services is increasing rapidly. This emphasizes the need for avoidance of any weather related delays which de-icing ensures. The market sees huge potential in the Middle East and Asia Pacific regions which are emerging as major cargo hubs.

Aircraft De-Icing Market- Restraints

High costs associated with aircraft de-icing procedures: High costs associated with aircraft de-icing procedures do pose a challenge for the growth of the aircraft de-icing market. Aircraft de-icing is an essential safety procedure that must be conducted during winters or in icy conditions to avoid any issues during take-off and flight. However, carrying out the de-icing process requires specialized de-icing trucks, well-trained personnel and environment-friendly de-icing fluids that are often expensive.

The entire de-icing operation, starting from the spraying of de-icing fluids to ensuring the aircraft is free from any ice buildup before take-off, takes significant amount of time. Multiple aircraft often queue up at airports during winters for de-icing, leading to flight delays. The extra manpower, equipment costs as well as the time spent on each aircraft adds to the overall expenses borne by airlines. According to data from Airlines for America, a non-profit trade organization representing major U.S. airlines, weather delays during the winter season of 2020-21 cost airlines approximately US$ 3 billion in losses. This clearly shows the huge economic impact of winter operations and de-icing needs.

The high costs of aircraft de-icing disincentives its increased adoption, especially in regions or airports with limited winter operations. This acts as a restraint for the expansion of the overall market. However, with climate change resulting in less predictable winters and increasing international operations even in colder climates, the safety priority of de-icing is driving the market growth. Technological advancements that promise more efficient de-icing and better predictability of ice formation could help lower costs in the future. Innovation will be the key to sustain momentum in this niche market.

Limited skilled workforce: The limited availability of skilled workforce is a major concern restraining the growth of the aircraft de-icing market. Aircraft de-icing is a highly specialized operation that requires trained professionals who can safely and efficiently remove ice and snow from planes before takeoff. However, there is a severe shortage of trained de-icers across airports globally.

Developing skilled technicians in this field takes time as the job involves complex procedures to de-ice different types of aircraft using specialized equipment like trucks and fluids. The technicians need to understand intricate equipment operations and follow strict safety protocols near aircraft and engines. They also need certification which includes extensive on-job training. However, attrition rates are also high in this job due to challenging work conditions with long hours spent outdoors in extreme weather conditions.

This shortage of skilled workforce limits the turnover of aircraft during winter and increases operation turnaround times. It also prohibits airports from efficiently scaling up de-icing operations to handle more planes especially during adverse weather conditions. These factors negatively impact flight schedules and mileage utilization of existing equipment. Ultimately, it restrains the market from reaching its true growth potential.

Recent Developments:

In December 2020, Aero Mag, a Canadian company specializing in aircraft de-icing operations, launched the world's first electrically-powered truck intended for aircraft de-icing procedures.
In January 2020, Invercon Inc. and NEI Corporation announced that their newly developed de-icing system was tested successfully at the NASA Glenn Research Center's Icing Research Tunnel.