Ownership 1.qxp_Finance 26/01/2021 16:49 Page 1
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Fuel Cards: Are you Making the Most of Them? As an aircraft owner, you should be keeping a close eye on the operating costs of your aircraft, says David Wyndham. Here’s how fuel cards – when used correctly – can help… here business aircraft ownership is concerned, an operating budget is highly recommended. For the typical turbine aircraft, fuel amounts to approximately half of your variable operating cost, which leaves plenty of headroom for intelligent use of fuel cards to benefit you. At first, you may accept the cost of fuel as a given with little you can do to control it. But experience should render ways to lower your fuel bill.
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Options for Reducing your Fuel Bills
At your home base airport, unless you burn enough fuel to justify having your own fuel farm, it is good practice to speak directly with your local FBO and arrange for a fuel discount. Unless you’re flying for extended periods, the majority of your fuel purchases will be at home, and a discount here can be highly beneficial. 48 Vol 25 Issue 2 2021 AVBUYER MAGAZINE
The more fuel you purchase at any one FBO facility, the better your chance becomes of getting a discount. Nevertheless, even when you’re on the road you may be able to get a discount, or have a parking fee waived with a minimum fuel purchase (see Footnote 1 at the end of this article). Also when on the road, you should shop around for the best prices when it make sense for your operation. Tools such as AirNav’s fuel price search (www.airnav.com/fuel/local.html) can make quick checks for reported fuel prices. Tip: When you are price shopping, you should consider the total cost of the stop. Sometimes a lower fuel price can be offset by a la carte fees for parking and other services. Moreover, evaluate the level of service at the FBO. A location with services included (if being used), may be a better value than the dollars you pay per gallon.
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