DAQCP INSPECTION PREPARATION · Aero Support Group FZCO · Updated 23 October 2026
What is DAQCP?
DAQCP is the IATA De-icing/Anti-icing Quality Control Pool. Member airlines nominate trained inspectors, carry out an assigned quota of inspections of de-icing service providers and share the reports through the DAQCP extranet. Safety-critical findings are sent to members as Alert Letters.
For a service provider, one DAQCP inspection replaces many separate airline audits at that station. For an airline, the reports support the operator’s obligation to oversee contracted de-icing, which EASA SIB 2018-12R1 expects to be recorded in the operator’s management system.
The standards behind the checklist
- SAE AS6285F (May 2025): aircraft ground de-icing/anti-icing processes. IATA names AS6285 as the basis of the DAQCP checklist.
- SAE AS6286E (May 2026): training and qualification programme for de-icing personnel.
- SAE AS6332A: quality management for de-icing operations.
- SAE ARP8831 (October 2024): a quality auditing checklist built to support conformance with AS6285, AS6286 and AS6332.
- Fluid specifications: AMS1424 (Type I) and AMS1428 (Types II, III and IV).
- Holdover time guidelines: the FAA and Transport Canada Winter 2026–2027 guidelines, issued in August 2026 and reissued every year.
SAE ARP4737 was cancelled in 2017 and should no longer appear in procedures.
What DAQCP inspectors look at
- Safety and quality management system of the provider.
- Procedures, documentation, management and supervision.
- Access to customer airlines’ de-icing documentation and requirements.
- De-icing/anti-icing communication with the flight crew, including the anti-icing code.
- Training and qualification of personnel.
- Facilities and equipment, including truck calibration and nozzle checks.
- Integrity of sprayed fluids: concentration, refractive index and viscosity checks.
- Acceptance, storage and protection of fluids.
Where providers lose points
IATA does not publish a list of typical findings. From our work and from incident reports cited by EASA, the recurring weak areas are:
- Post de-icing checks done in poor visibility, with steam, at night or from an enclosed cabin without adequate view of treated surfaces.
- Fluid sampling and refractive index checks that are not recorded per truck and per day.
- Training records that do not show qualification for each task level.
- Storage tanks without clear labelling, sampling records or protection from contamination.
- Procedures that do not reflect each customer airline’s specific requirements.
Operator responsibilities
- EASA: CAT.OP.MPA.250 requires the operator to establish ground de-icing/anti-icing procedures. GM2 requires a contamination check by a trained and qualified person before dispatch.
- FAA: 14 CFR 121.629 requires an FAA-approved ground deicing/anti-icing programme, with holdover time tables, training and a pretakeoff contamination check within five minutes before take-off where required.
- ICAO: Doc 9640, Manual of Aircraft Ground De-icing/Anti-icing Operations, gives the reference framework.
Contracting a DAQCP-inspected provider does not transfer the operator’s responsibility; the airline must still oversee the service.
How ASG prepares you
- Pre-season gap assessment against AS6285F, AS6286E, AS6332A and the current DAQCP checklist.
- Procedure updates for the new HOT guidelines and SAE revisions.
- Training programme and qualification records aligned with AS6286E.
- Fluid management: acceptance, storage, sampling and in-truck checks.
- Mock DAQCP inspection with a written report before the real visit.
- Finding closure and corrective action plans after inspection.
Conclusion
DAQCP inspections test whether a de-icing operation follows the current SAE standards on the ramp, not only on paper. Providers that update their procedures each season, keep fluid and training records per task and check aircraft properly after treatment pass with few findings. ASG helps providers get there before the inspector arrives.
Frequently asked questions
The IATA De-icing/Anti-icing Quality Control Pool, an airline pool founded in 1997 that shares inspections of de-icing service providers among 160+ member airlines.
IATA states the checklist is based on the latest SAE standards, naming AS6285. The current revision is AS6285F. Training follows AS6286 and quality management AS6332.
Every winter season. About 650 inspections take place each year at about 500 airports.
It supports it. The operator remains responsible for its de-icing procedures under CAT.OP.MPA.250 or 14 CFR 121.629 and should record its oversight of providers in its management system.
The FAA and Transport Canada Winter 2026–2027 holdover time guidelines, issued in August 2026.
Key takeaways
- DAQCP is an IATA pool of 160+ airlines sharing de-icing provider inspections
- About 650 inspections per winter at about 500 airports
- Checklist is based on SAE AS6285, updated yearly
- Current baselines: AS6285F, AS6286E, AS6332A, ARP8831
- Operators keep oversight responsibility for contracted de-icing
Preparing for this winter's DAQCP inspection?
Tell us your stations and customer airlines. ASG will run a pre-season assessment and mock inspection against the current standards.
References
- IATA, De-icing/Anti-icing Quality Control Pool (DAQCP)
- SAE, AS6285F Aircraft Ground Deicing/Anti-Icing Processes
- SAE, AS6286E Training and Qualification Program
- SAE, AS6332A Quality Management
- FAA, Winter 2026-2027 Holdover Time Guidelines
- EASA, SIB 2018-12R1 Post De-Icing/Anti-Icing Checks
- eCFR, 14 CFR 121.629