Professional Pilot, January 2019

there are ways to pre pay fuel either directly or via your ISP Linebaugh stresses the importance of fully understanding your pre negotiated credit arrangements to avoid issues on the day of operation Whenever you confirm a fuel release its important that all layers in the process from the local ground handler to the fuel provider and truck driver understand that the uplift is on credit Ensure that its the correct provider hooked up to your aircraft and dont sign a fuel ticket until it can be carefully reviewed Once the ticket is signed there are few options to make any retroactive corrections Fuel taxes duties and additional charges At many locations in the EU VAT and MOT more than double the local base fuel price Germany Switzerland and France can be particularly expensive in this regard While charter operators may be able to avoid VAT and MOT at the pump this usually requires carrying your Air Operator Certificate AOC filing your flight plan as commercial and ensuring that the fuel ticket has been correctly filled out prior to signing it Private operators are rarely able to exempt MOT but within the EU they do have options of either excepting VAT or having the ability to reclaim it later Note that VAT exceptions are usually only available to private flights on business and not 60 PROFESSIONAL PILOT January 2019 for leisure purposes In the UK for example private operators can usually avoid VAT if their next leg is not a domestic leg If youre uplifting to fly domestic within the UK youll be hit with 20 VAT on the first 1 607 gallons and then 5 VAT thereafter says Smith Note that when operating out of SNN you can avoid VAT if your next flight leg is outside the EU adds Davies VAT exemptions for private flights vary from country to country so its always best to know before you go remarks Linebaugh The assorted rules and opportunities however can be quite convoluted In Greece for example if youre buying fuel via a 3rd party provider youll always be charged VAT irrespective if you re flying on business and or have an AOC Additional fuel uplift related charges include overtime charges low volume surcharges into plane fees and local taxes if your next leg is within country and not international There may be overtime fuel charges at certain locations you may be charged an extra fee for a low volume uplift under 500 gallons or so and some vendors will even hide a fuel release set up fee in their notes Into plane fees are normally included in your price quote says Smith Be aware also that fuel pricing is subject to change International pricing often changes weekly biweekly or monthly and will go up and down depending on the market Many international fuel suppliers will send operators automatic pricing updates as you get closer to day of operation Fuel uplift delays and potential shortages Unless your provider has GA dedicated fuel trucks available scheduled commercial operators on the field normally enjoy fueling priority Its not uncommon to experience an hour or so wait for a fuel truck at many international locations as scheduled commercial has first priority says Davies You may find yourself 5th or 7th in line with passengers sitting onboard waiting For this reason its often worthwhile considering tankering or fueling on arrival at busy locations depending upon how long you plan on staying Here and there around the world youll encounter fuel shortages from time to time NCE Nice France tends to run out of fuel on busy weekends while SXM St Maarten occasionally runs low on fuel during peak periods Locations in Nigeria are also prone to face fuel supply challenges now and then Summary When planning international fuel uplifts look at a strategy that considers the entire trip as a whole recommends Smith The overall objective is to save time avoid delays and maximize flexibility while keeping costs as reasonable as possible Successful strategies might involve tankering fuel or uplifting fuel on arrival in some cases having Plan B credit options or paying a little more at certain locations to use GA dedicated fuel trucks Working with a couple of established providers as opposed to numerous contract providers usually gives you best pricing without diluting your negotiating power Editor at Large Grant McLaren has written for Pro Pilot for over 20 years and specializes in corporate flight department coverage BQH Biggin Hill London UK has a strong GA focus with fuel uplifts normally trouble free and on time Even at major bizav locations however its always best practice to confirm credit arrangements and fuel release details prior to day of operation