Deicing or antiicing fluids for aircraft

A deicing/antiicing fluid for aircraft based on a glycol, water and a crosslinked polyacrylic acid as thickener, consisting essentially of:

• a) 40-70% by weight of a glycol selected from the group consisting of the alkylene glycols of 2 or 3 carbon atoms and oxyalkylene glycols o from 4 to 6 carbon atoms, or a mixture thereof,
• b) 0.1-1.0% by weight of a crosslinked polyacrylic acid which in the form of a 0.5% strength by weight aqueous solution at pH 7.0 a Brookfield viscometer at 20 rpm,
• c) 0.02-1.5% by weight of a nonionic surfactant formed from an alcohol of from 10 to 20 carbon atoms reacted with from 1 to 10 molecules of a low molecular weight alkoxide,
• d) 0.05-2.0% by weight of one or more corrosion inhibitors,
• e) 0.2-0.7% by weight of a mixture of potassium hydroxide and sodium hydroxide containing up to 70% by weight of potassium hydroxide, or of pure sodium hydroxide, to the fluid pH to 7.0-9.5,
• f) 0.01-0.1% by weight of an antioxidant, and
• g) water to 100% by weight, all the weight percentages being based on the weight of the fluid, and wherein the deicing/antiicing fluid has a holdover time of at least about 30 minutes as measured by the AEA freezing rain endurance test and a viscosity of from about 2000 mPa.s to not greater than about 4000 mPa.s when measured at 20.degree. C. using a Brookfield viscometer at 0.3 rpm.