De-Ice

De-Ice is a company in Somerville, Massachusetts. It is an MIT spin-out. It has developed an electric method to heat materials that are hard to heat. Its first use is de-icing aircraft on the ground.

Aircraft are sprayed with propylene glycol or ethylene glycol before takeoff in cold weather. The site says making, moving and heating these chemicals creates carbon dioxide emissions. It says De-Ice is fast, efficient and chemical no-cost.

The company says its goal is to end winter departure delays caused by chemical de-icing. The site says chemical ice removal causes an average departure delay of 30 minutes. It also says the electric method reduces idling fuel burn and other sources of CO2 emissions.

Air Canada is named as the company's launch customer. The site says Air Canada has tested jet de-icing strips to end glycol sprays. The site also highlights a 2024 Time list of inventions that included this work.

An advisory board is listed on the about page. Members include John Owen, co-founder of JetBlue; David Perreault, an MIT professor; Don Carty, a retired chairman and CEO of American Airlines; and Robert Nolan, a retired US Air Force general. Other members have held senior roles in airlines, aerospace and safety.

The site lists the company's address as 444 Somerville Avenue, Somerville, MA 02143. It has separate routes for business, general, career and media inquiries. It also has an inquiry form for its de-icing solution. The site includes a careers page for people who want to join the team.