Fuel - Articles and news items

ASA fuel services: focusing on the client

Issue 4 2008, Past issues / 1 August 2008 /

In these uncertain times of skyrocketing fuel prices, all stakeholders (airlines, suppliers, into-plane agents) need to devise intelligent strategies to reduce costs and face the market conditions together. In this regard, ASA fuel services (AFS) has a structured management system that puts the client as its utmost priority. It encompasses the areas of quality, the environment, occupational health and safety, as well as an extensive human resources development programme, all of which contribute to the organisation’s knowledge management system.

The Fuel Management System (FMS), as it is integrally known, delivers value to ASA’s clients by reducing costs, and bolsters client confidence through its international certifications in ISO and OHSAS. In addition, recent specific strategies targeted toward reducing jet fuel costs have resulted in savings across the supply chain. (more…)

Alternative fuels for aviation: the CAAFI process

Issue 6 2007, Past issues / 30 November 2007 /

Until the last few years, alternatives to jet petroleum based aviation fuel for commercial aircraft were, at best, an afterthought to energy suppliers and the aviation industry. The collective wisdom of airlines, airports, aircraft manufacturers and government organisations such as the FAA in the US, had been that aviation would consume the last drop of oil used in transportation and that all other transportation modes would switch to alternatives first. They predicted that the transition would occur long after stationary energy users (utilities) switched. Even if aviation sought to pursue alternatives to Jet A or its military equivalent JP8, the market for aviation fuel (less than 10% of overall demand) was too small to influence energy suppliers and distributors. The need to pursue alternatives in aviation was not apparent.

Much has changed and a different set of questions are asked in many quarters. Does aviation want to rely upon this historical assumption of “last user”? Is there a better future possible with a more secure supply, a better environmental footprint? Could this lead to energy price stability in the long term? Is there any way that aviation could attract the attention of the energy supply community to act in its interests? Perhaps most importantly, if aviation does not act, what are the consequences of being the last user of an ageing and likely politically unstable petroleum infrastructure in the long term? (more…)

Omega: Opportunities for meeting the environmental challenge of growth in aviation

Issue 5 2007, Past issues / 28 September 2007 /

The challenge of sustainable growth in aviation has brought significant benefits to world trade and development. This success, however, is not without environmental impacts on climate change, local air quality and noise. With global air transport predicted to more than double in the next 30 years, technologists, policymakers and regulators face considerable challenges in ensuring the future sustainability of civil aviation.

The environmental impacts of aviation are often felt hardest by airports. The local pressures of noise and air quality directly affect local community relations and are an issue related to growth. Climate change is a significant additional pressure as carbon reduction becomes a key business driver for airports from the perspective of energy saving, CSR and cost. Airports continue to take significant steps individually and through co-ordinated action to reduce impacts and ease pressures upon growth, but this is a tough challenge and innovative new responses are needed. (more…)

Aviation Fuels – Looking to the future

Issue 4 2007, Past issues / 31 July 2007 /

Jeff Poole, Director Industry Charges, Fuel and Taxation, answers our questions on the future of aviation fuels from an IATA perspective. (more…)

Fuel efficiency

Issue 2 2007, Past issues / 3 April 2007 /

Conserving fuel is important for two very obvious reasons. First, given the high price of oil, airlines can save considerable sums of money by using less fuel through improved fuel efficiency. Secondly, if an airplane uses less fuel, it will produce lower CO2 emissions. Just a 1% reduction in the average annual fuel burn of a Boeing B737-300 or an Airbus A320 results in 100 tonnes of fuel not burnt, US$50,000 in cost savings to the airlines and 400 tonnes of CO2 not emitted into the atmosphere. This article looks at some of the steps that airlines are taking to improve fuel efficiency and also looks at what airports, governments and other industry partners can do.

The issue of climate change is at the top of many governments’ agendas. Aviation is often singled out as a major cause of global warming and politicians are quick to grab easy headlines by attacking the aviation industry.

The simple fact is that aircraft produce 2% of global carbon emissions and the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) forecasts this to grow to 3% by 2050. Even though this is a small proportion of total man-made carbon emissions, airlines are not complacent. Indeed, airlines have been working hard well before Kyoto to successfully limit emissions. Over the last forty years fuel efficiency has improved 70% and the industry is projecting a further 25% improvement by 2020. The next generation of aircraft, such as the A380 Airbus will have a fuel efficiency of less than 3 litres per 100 passenger kilometres. That is much better than any hybrid car on the market. (more…)

Fuelling excellence at HKIA

Issue 3 2006, Past issues / 11 September 2006 /

In October 2004, Hong Kong International Airport was presented with an IATA Fuel Trade Forum award in recognition of the excellent management of its aviation fuel system. B S Chow discusses the pioneering design and unique characteristics that have seen the system become an industry model.

The aviation fuel service system at HKIA was defined very early, almost 5 years prior to the opening of HKIA at Chek Lap Kok, after extensive consultation with IATA, suppliers and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government. The innovative system has the following unique features: (more…)

Operations and fuel conference report

Issue 2 2005, Past issues / 10 June 2005 /

Highlights of the agenda at the most recent International Airport Operations/Jet Fuel Conference at Orlando, Florida included talks on fuel delivery infrastructure problems, ramp safety and Common Use Ramp Equipment.

Sponsored and organised by the Armbrust Aviation Group, the event was the seventh to have taken place. Held on three days, February 2-4th, it attracted attendees from all over the globe and did not disappoint those airport managers looking for intelligent industry debate and predictions. The conference ran concurrent to an exhibition that hosted many relevant exhibitors and provided networking opportunities and working sessions.

On the first day the show played host to the Airport Operations Safety Panel (AOSP). The AOSP is a group of industry figures who gather to discuss the current state of operational safety in airports. Through identifying areas of concern, seeking solutions and making recommendations, the panel raises awareness of important issues. The general session of the conference was then split into two sessions, the first of which saw the members of the AOSP report to the conference on the results of its industry survey and the second of which covered the issues associated with jet fuel prices. Both sessions saw debate crystallise into shared opinion and comments formulate into plans for future action. (more…)

The jet fuel infrastructure crisis

Issue 2 2005, Past issues / 10 June 2005 /

In this article Bob Sturtz explores the factors that are leaving jet fuel delivery infrastructure lagging behind air travel growth.

As demand for air travel in the U.S. has increased during the last few decades and airports have made major capital investments to handle more passengers and aircraft, it has been taken for granted that aviation jet fuel would be available to meet the demand. For the past couple of years numerous factors impacting various segments of the jet fuel supply chain have raised cause for concern.

To understand what is happening, it is useful to understand how jet fuel is produced, transported and priced. Jet fuel is produced from crude oil and is termed a distillate product with characteristics similar to kerosene, home heating oil and diesel fuel. In general most refiners convert less than 10 per cent of their crude oil into jet fuel. The amount of jet fuel that a refiner can produce will vary based on the technological complexity of the refinery and the profitability of jet fuel compared to all the other products produced by the refinery. (more…)

Facing the fuel efficiency challenge

Issue 1 2005, Past issues / 16 March 2005 /

Improving fuel efficiency is one of the greatest challenges for the aviation industry – and airports have their role to play in achieving the goal for more efficient air travel, writes Ravin Appadoo.

Without doubt, the price of fuel is the biggest crisis facing the airspace user today. The high price of jet fuel is wreaking havoc in the airlines’ financial fortunes, with a 2004 fuel bill of US$62 billion, a staggering US$15 billion increase on 2003. The prospect of a return to profitability for the industry – on the premise of an oil market going back to the US$34 a barrel of crude after having peaked at US$55 in New York last October – is proving to be very grim. In fact, it appears that the oil market forward curves are at historic highs and are here to stay.

With alternative fuels offering little promise for the future, and the lack of control over price, the only hope for winning the battle to reduce energy costs is through greater operational efficiency. (more…)