LAS VEGAS, Nev.  / October 10, 2017 / GENERAL AVIATION NEWS – When natural disasters strike, the aviation industry pulls together to help support its communities and neighbors—for FBOs in and around the affected areas, this means a drastic change in operations. As a fuel supplier, this is when Avfuel acts as proactively as possible to make good on its guarantee to provide reliable fuel supply in the wake of emergencies so FBOs who do so much of the heavy lifting for relief efforts can focus on their urgent tasks at hand.

 

Reliable fuel supply is crucial for evacuation, search and rescue, and relief efforts; operating around the clock, Avfuel’s logistics and supply teams work diligently to ensure fuel supply is the least of FBOs’ concerns.

 

Proactive measures help ensure FBOs receive the fuel they need so they can focus on their important jobs at hand: evacuating passengers and planes, keep tanks heavy for stability during storms, and sustain operations for medevac and helicopters, and their tenants’ return. Fuel reliability has been key for FBOs like Astin Aviation (KCLL), Sheltair Aviation and Bohlke International Airways (STX) who have been major players in relief efforts throughout Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria.

 

After Hurricane Harvey, Astin Aviation (KCLL) in College Station, Texas, became the single-staging point for military helicopters, fast boat rescue, FEMA, commercial air ambulance traffic, and C-130 supply aircraft performing search, rescue and recovery missions throughout Houston and Beaumont without any advanced warning. Air operations for disaster relief were being conducted around the clock, with the FBO’s line staff and CSRs working 12-hour shifts to accommodate the fuel and logistics requirements of more than 100 airmen, soldiers and sailors.

 

For 48 continuous hours, Astin Aviation efficiently fielded calls from an array of military segments asking if the FBO could take more aircraft. The team’s answer was always the same: “Bring it on.”

 

Bohlke International Airways’ (STX) ramp is normally full in-season with private aircraft carrying business travelers and vacationers in St. Croix, but is now full with military operations carrying government aid and volunteers for locations throughout the Caribbean in the wake of disaster.

 

As a relief staging hub for the Caribbean, Bohlke International Airways is temporarily home to the U.S. Air Force; U.S. Navy; U.S. Marines; Air National Guard; Federal Emergency Management Agency; American Red Cross; Salvation Army; medevac services like AeroMD; and privately-owned aircraft sent to supplement relief efforts, with new entities arriving daily. Several medical evacuation services have joined forces with U.S. Virgin Islands-based AeroMD, including AirMed International; Aitheras; AMR Air; Medway; and REVA.

 

Sheltair assisted “hurricane hunter” aircraft from its Lakeland, Florida, facility as part of its ongoing efforts to support government, military and general aviation operations prior to the arrival of Hurricane Irma. Through Saturday, September 9, it provided refueling services to aircraft belonging to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

 

Shortly thereafter, Sheltair’s New York FBO locations received flights through Saturday, September 9, with multi-families and groups of unrelated passengers packing into one aircraft seeking safety and shelter from Irma. Assistance and ground support included an animal rescue flight with more than 60 crates of dogs and cats from the Miami area seeking safety and shelter.

“Many of our network locations are serving as strategic hubs for relief efforts, requiring multiple loads of fuel per day,” said Matt Matthews, district manager for Avfuel. “These FBOs have been important for evacuating and transporting people to receive the care they need. It’s not uncommon for some of these FBOs to have scores of aircraft on hand to assist in evacuations. We’ve been busy ensuring these FBOs receive the fuel they need to continue operations.”

 

In preparation for and response to natural disasters, Avfuel’s logistics and supply departments ramp up their around-the-clock efforts. Each of Avfuel’s staff members is highly-qualified to make informed decisions on fueling sources and transportation at any time of day, every day. The team also works closely with Avplan Trip Support, whose in-house meteorologists monitor the storm’s trajectory so the logistics staff knows who will be most affected and where the storm may be headed next. Of course, Avplan Trip Support was also instrumental in helping pilots and flight departments discern weather conditions for safe operations. 

 

For FBOs in locations directly hit by a storm, providing them with fuel way in advance is often the only chance to deliver the fuel safely. So in order to best serve these customers, it’s imperative for Avfuel’s logistics team to be ahead of the game and continuously monitor the storm to stay abreast of its path. Then, once the storm clears, it’s all about helping the FBOs get back up and running to full capacity as soon as possible.  

 

But no matter how proactive a logistics team and its FBOs are with planning, reactive measures must always be taken. Hurricanes are unpredictable—Avfuel’s logistics and supply teams closely monitor the storm’s path, adjust plans and contact additional customers who may need fuel support with a shift in storm trajectory.

 

“Our teams stay on the job throughout the whole process,” said Ben Spence, Avfuel’s logistics manager. “Before, during and after the hurricane we’re calling customers at their FBOs—or on their cell phones if they’re closed—reassessing their needs and finding the necessary supply. Even if an FBO isn’t right in the storm, if their primary supply terminal is compromised, or if we think they’re going to be a hub for relief efforts, we need to communicate with them as well. This gets compounded with the normal day-to-day supply complications that pop up from all around our network, such as wildfires, terminals that are down for maintenance, special events and more. Those needs don’t dissipate when there’s a hurricane.” 

 

These day-to-day activities and scheduled events are what keep the Avfuel logistics and supply teams prepared for emergency events. Though large events such as the Super Bowl and NASCAR races are planned in advance, it keeps the crew’s ability to pull a high volume of fuel for numerous FBOs from multiple supply points sharp.

 

With comprehensive back-end support from a team prepared and dedicated to serving its customers, FBOs can pool their resources into more important areas of concern: the safety of employees, pilots, passengers and communities.

Contacts
Avfuel Corporation: Marci Ammerman, Vice President Marketing, 734-663-6466, [email protected], www.avfuel.com, facebook.com/avfuel, Twitter: @Avfuel