EASA SIB No.: 2017-XX
Safety Information Bulletin
Operations
SIB No.: 2017-XX
Issued: dd Month 2017
Subject: Global Aircraft De-icing Standards
Ref. Publications:
SAE AS6285 ‘Aircraft Ground Deicing/Anti-Icing Processes’ and ARP6257 ‘Aircraft Ground
De/Anti-Icing Communication Phraseology for Flight and Ground Crews’, latest published version.
SAE AS6286 ‘Training and Qualification Program for Deicing/Anti-icing of Aircraft on the Ground’,
complemented by slash-documents AS6286/1, AS6286/2, AS6286/3, AS6286/4, AS6286/5 and
AS6286/6, latest published versions.
SAE AS6332 ‘Aircraft Ground Deicing/Anti-icing Quality Management’, latest published version.
FAA ‘Holdover Time Guidelines’ (annual publication).
FAA Notice ‘Revised FAA-Approved Deicing Program Updates’ (annual publication).
Applicability:
Air Operators, contracted ground de-icing service providers and National Aviation Authorities.
Description:
Regulation (EU) No 965/2012, specifically point CAT.OP.MPA.250, requires air operators to
‘establish procedures to be followed when ground de-icing and anti-icing and related inspections
of the aircraft are necessary to allow the safe operation of the aircraft’. The same provisions are
also required through SPO.OP.175 and NCC.OP.185, applicable to ‘Commercial operations other
than commercial air transport’ and ‘Non-commercial operations with complex motor-powered
aircraft’, respectively.
Guidance Material (GM) GM3 to CAT.OP.MPA.250 states that the basis for establishing the
procedures for ground de-icing can be found in the Association of European Airlines (AEA)
‘Recommendations for de-icing/anti-icing of aircraft on the ground’ and AEA ‘Training
recommendations and background information for de-icing/anti-icing of aircraft on the ground’.
The AEA ‘Recommendations for de-icing/anti-icing of aircraft on the ground’ also contained a valid
reference for the Hold-over Time (HoT) tables used by European air operators. There are also
similar GMs related to the SPO.OP.175 and NCC.OP.185 provisions
In 2011, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) launched an initiative, supported by the
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), to harmonise worldwide de-icing methods,
This is information only. Recommendations are not mandatory.
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EASA SIB No.: 2017-XX
training standards and quality assurance processes, aiming to facilitate airline de-icing operations
at different airports around the world and the provision of de-icing services by ground handlers
serving many airlines.
IATA tasked the SAE International® G12 ‘Aircraft Ground De-icing Committee’ to develop,
considering existing industry practices, ‘Global Aircraft De-icing Standards’. The AEA ground
de-icing group and EASA were in favour of the IATA-ICAO initiative, participated in the
development of the ‘Global Aircraft De-icing Standards’ and kept relevant stakeholders informed
on this project. Accordingly, AEA decided to discontinue their annual publications when the
‘Global Standards’ would be ready for use.
The ‘Global Aircraft De-icing Standards’ consist of the following documents:
SAE AS6285 ‘Aircraft Ground Deicing/Anti-Icing Processes’ and ARP6257 ‘Aircraft Ground
De/Anti-Icing Communication Phraseology for Flight and Ground Crews’.
SAE AS6286 ‘Training and Qualification Program for Deicing/Anti-icing of Aircraft on the
Ground’, complemented by subdocuments AS6286/1, AS6286/2, AS6286/3, AS6286/4,
AS6286/5 and AS6286/6.
SAE AS6332 ‘Aircraft Ground Deicing/Anti-icing Quality Management’.
These documents are now published, and can be obtained upon request from SAE International®.
Also, ICAO is in the process of publishing an update of document 9640 ‘Manual of Aircraft Ground
De-icing/Anti-icing Operations’. The new version of this document, expected soon, will refer to
the ‘Global Aircraft De-icing Standards’.
Additionally, EASA considers FAA ‘Holdover Time Guidelines’ as an acceptable reference for use by
an air operator when developing the HoT table to be published in its operations manual, as
required by European rules. The FAA ‘Holdover Time Guidelines’ need to be read in conjunction
with the corresponding Notice ‘Revised FAA-Approved Deicing Program Updates, Winter
20xx-20yy’. Both of these documents are updated annually, typically during early August, and are
freely available from FAA website.
At this time, the safety concern described in this SIB does not warrant the issuance of an
operational directive under Regulation (EU) 965/2012, Annex II, ARO.GEN.135(c).
Recommendation(s):
EASA recommends air operators to take note of AEA’s decision to discontinue the publication of
AEA ‘Recommendations for de-icing/anti-icing of aircraft on the ground’ (which contained updated
tables with HoT data) and AEA ‘Training recommendations and background information for
de-icing/anti-icing of aircraft on the ground’.
As from this coming winter, EASA recommends air operators to use the latest published versions
of the ‘Global Aircraft De-icing Standards’ as their reference material to establish their ground
de-icing procedures and the FAA ‘Holdover Time Guidelines’ as their reference to usable HoT
tables.
This is information only. Recommendations are not mandatory.
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EASA SIB No.: 2017-XX
EASA recommends air operators to familiarise themselves with the ‘Global Aircraft De-icing
Standards’ and FAA Holdover Time annual publications, to update accordingly the relevant
chapters of their operations manual before the next winter season and to timely inform their
de-icing service providers about these changes.
EASA recommends air operators to ensure that their crews and any other affected personnel,
including those from service providers, receive the appropriate training regarding these changes.
Contact(s):
For further information on SIB contact Safety Information Section, Certification Directorate.
E-mail:
[email protected].
For a copy of the referenced SAE documents, contact SAE International® at
http://standards.sae.org/
The latest FAA ‘Holdover Time Guidelines’ and the ‘Revised FAA-Approved Deicing Program
Updates, Winter 20xx-20yy’, are available at https://www.faa.gov/
This is information only. Recommendations are not mandatory.
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An agency of the European Union
Dear Madam/Sir,
Please find attached hereto a preliminary draft for an EASA Safety Information Bulletin (SIB) [task
2017.149] regarding
Global Aircraft De-icing Standards
for consultation until 4 July 2017.
We would be grateful to you if you could send any comment(s) to
[email protected] by making
reference to [task 2017.185], no later than the above-mentioned deadline.
Safety Information Section Email:
[email protected]
EASA Website
(Attachment is in Acrobat PDF format)
Postal: Postfach 10 12 53, 50452 Cologne, Germany
An agency of the European Union
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