De-icing
De-icing is spraying heated glycol-based fluid on the wings and tail to remove snow, frost or ice before take-off, sometimes followed by a thicker anti-icing fluid that keeps new precipitation from sticking for a limited holdover time. Aircraft cannot legally take off with contaminated wings, so on a winter morning in Chicago, Moscow, Zurich or Aspen it is not optional. It is usually not included in charter quotes because it is unpredictable: a light jet costs $500–$2,000 to de-ice, a large-cabin jet $3,000–$10,000, and in a snowstorm queues of an hour or more are normal. Hangaring the aircraft overnight is often cheaper than de-icing it in the morning.