Lendus.

De-Icing Rig Finance

Spread the cost of a de-icing rig from £180,000 to £600,000+ with flexible finance options. HP, lease, or refinance, compare rates from 40+ lenders.

Can you finance a de-icing rig?

Yes, de-icing rigs are financed as a standard asset purchase, usually on hire purchase or a lease, with the machine itself acting as the security. UK prices typically run £180,000 to £600,000, and most deals are written over 24-84 months with a deposit of around 15-20%. Decisions typically take 48–72 hours. Used machines are financeable too, usually with a shorter term.

200+ UK lenders
2-minute application
No credit check to apply
FCA-regulated brokers

Typical Cost

£180k – £600k

Approval Speed

48–72 hours

Apply well before the winter season starts

Rates From

6.5% APR

What would a de-icing rig cost per month?

£320,000
10%
60 months
9%
£0

Your estimate

Indicative only. Not a quote and not an offer of finance.

Pre-filled with a typical de-icing rig price. Indicative only, not a quote.

Compare de-icing rig finance rates from 200+ lenders

Check Eligibility

Finance options

Hire Purchase (HP)

Rate
From 7.0% APR
Term
24-84 months
Deposit
15-20%
Ownership
Yours at the end
Best for
Contractors wanting to own their de-icing fleet outright

Finance Lease

Rate
From 6.5% APR
Term
24-84 months
Deposit
None required
Ownership
Return or buy (balloon payment)
Best for
Tax-efficient, claim 100% of payments against profit

Operating Lease

Rate
From 7.8% APR
Term
36-60 months
Deposit
None required
Ownership
Return at end
Best for
Match a highly seasonal asset to a flexible balance sheet position. Off balance sheet.

Representative example

On a purchase price of £320,000: a 10% deposit of £32,000, then 48 monthly payments of £6,750 at 5.9% APR representative (fixed). Total amount payable £356,000, including the deposit. The rate you are offered depends on your business and the asset.

What buyers actually specify

Guide prices for sizing a finance agreement, not quotes. Manufacturers in this market mostly price on application, so where a current UK list price could not be confirmed the row describes a specification class rather than naming a model. Your supplier quote is what the agreement is written against.

Machine or specification Guide price Type
Mallaghan TA8200 Aircraft De-Icer £250,000 - £400,000 Truck-mounted de-icing rig (18-tonne+ chassis, narrow to wide-body)
JBT AeroTech Tempest £380,000 - £580,000 Truck-mounted de-icing rig (2,200 US gal tank, c.45ft reach)
Compact Self-Propelled De-Icer £190,000 - £280,000 Single-operator de-icing rig (specification class)
Vaisala Fluid Concentration Monitoring System £15,000 - £35,000 De-icing fluid quality add-on, fitted to an existing rig

Ready to compare de-icing rig finance? 2 minutes, no credit check.

Check Eligibility

Tax benefits

De-icing rigs qualify for Annual Investment Allowance (AIA), letting you deduct the qualifying cost from taxable profits in the year of purchase, up to the current annual limit, regardless of how few months of the year the rig is actually in use. HP allows capital allowances on the rig. Lease payments are fully deductible from profits.

Market context

De-icing rigs are bought by ground handling and specialist de-icing contractors operating under contracts with airports and airlines, rather than by the airport directly. De-icing is a highly seasonal service, so financing spreads a large capital cost across a rig that may sit largely idle for much of the year outside the winter season. Replacement is generally driven by the tank capacity and boom reach needed to cover a wider aircraft mix, and by airport requirements around fluid recovery and environmental handling, rather than by rigs simply wearing out. As with other ramp equipment, what actually controls who can win de-icing work is the contractor's airside accreditation and any specific de-icing operator training or certification required, not just owning a rig, and lenders view an accredited contractor with a live de-icing contract far more favourably than one without. The used market is modest, since rigs tend to be run hard through a short season and kept in service for a long time.

Bad credit?

Several of our 200+ lenders specialise in businesses with imperfect credit histories. You may need a larger deposit or personal guarantee, but options exist. Checking your options here does not affect your credit score, because we do not run a credit search to match you. A lender will run their own checks only if you decide to apply.

Compare rates from 200+ lenders, takes 2 minutes.

Check Eligibility

Frequently asked questions

Can I finance a de-icing rig even though it is only used for part of the year?
Yes. Lenders that work in this sector understand that de-icing rigs are seasonal assets, and structure agreements accordingly, including options with lower or seasonal payments outside the winter months in some cases. The finance agreement is not affected by how many months the rig is actually deployed, and tax relief is available in the year of purchase regardless of usage pattern.
What deposit do I need?
For hire purchase, most lenders ask for a 15-20% deposit on a de-icing rig, slightly higher than for general ground support equipment given the specialist, seasonal nature of the asset. Finance leases and operating leases often require no deposit at all. A larger deposit reduces the monthly repayment across the term.
Do I need a de-icing contract in place before applying?
Not necessarily to get indicative terms, but lenders will want to see a de-icing contract, or the airside and operator accreditation needed to win one, in place or clearly on track before finalising a deal. It is that accreditation and contract that make the rig commercially usable, so an established, accredited contractor is a stronger lending proposition than a new entrant.
Can fluid recovery or monitoring equipment be included in the finance?
Yes. Fluid concentration monitoring systems and recovery equipment can usually be bundled into the same agreement as the rig itself, rather than financed separately. This is common where an airport's environmental requirements mean the monitoring equipment is effectively a condition of the de-icing contract.
How quickly can I get de-icing rig finance?
Most applications are approved within 48-72 hours, though contractors are best placed applying well ahead of the winter season rather than waiting until the first cold snap, since demand for both rigs and finance approvals rises sharply at that point. Existing customers with a running de-icing contract are generally the fastest to approve.

Related equipment finance

More vehicles finance

See how lenders treat vehicles assets

Guides and resources

Ready to finance your de-icing rig?

Compare rates from 200+ lenders. No credit check.

Check Eligibility →
Check Eligibility, 2 min, no credit check