Abstract: In a method for exterior de-icing of an aircraft before takeoff, a region of the aircraft to be de-iced has hot air applied thereto and is heated, the air exiting a de-icing nozzle that can be disposed in the vicinity of the region to be de-iced, hot air exiting a hot air outlet opening of the aircraft is collected and fed to the de-icing nozzle. A device for externally de-icing aircraft, having a flexible hot air channel and a de-icing nozzle disposed at a first end of the hot air channel includes a collector device for hot air exiting the aircraft and connected to a second end of the hot air channel.