Lazarski Aviation Academy
Airplane refueling. How much does it cost?
Airplane refueling is not cheap stuff. For airlines, it is one-third of all operating costs. For small planes, “to fill up” costs as much as refueling three cars, for the largest – the amounts go into the hundreds of thousands of zlotys.
The fuel in the dispensers at the stations and the one that is refueled in airplanes are not the same, even though they are all made by refining crude oil.
What is the difference between jet fuel and car fuel?
“Gasoline consists of hydrocarbons containing 7 to 11 carbon atoms with hydrogen molecules attached. Jet fuel contains more hydrocarbons, in the range of 12 to 15 carbon atoms. In more colloquial terminology, jet fuel consists mainly of kerosene,” – Maciej Kowalski, president of Lotos-Air BP Poland, now Air BP Aramco Poland, told money.pl. This means that in terms of chemical composition, it is closer to diesel fuel than gasoline.
Aircraft with piston engines use aviation gasoline (AVGAS), while fleets with jet engines use JET-A1 fuel. Aviation fuel must maintain its properties even at temperatures of -50 degrees Celsius, which prevail at the cruising altitude of passenger aircraft.
How much does airplane refueling cost?
The Wroclaw Airport price list from mid-November states:
- PLN 3.20 per liter of JET-A1 fuel, excluding excise tax, fuel surcharge and VAT,
- PLN 8.10 per liter of AVGAS fuel, excluding excise, fuel surcharge and VAT.
After fees and taxes, a liter of JET-A1 fuel costs PLN 5.62, and AVGAS aviation gasoline costs PLN 12.02. However, these are list price rates, as fuel suppliers offer discounts for regular customers. Besides, airlines enjoy exemptions from excise tax, fuel surcharge and VAT.
Orlen Aviation’s wholesale price list lists PLN 3.24 net per liter of JET-A1 aviation fuel at airports in the country, and PLN 4.29 net at Warsaw-Babice Sport Airport for the purchase of 1,000 liters. AVGAS 100LL fuel prices are more varied, ranging from PLN 7.05 net per liter in Poznań-Lawica to PLN 11.5 net in Bydgoszcz-Swedwerow.
This means, therefore, that airlines and operators of, for example, air cab, will pay less for jet fuel than private aircraft owners.
Filling up the world’s largest passenger aircraft, the Airbus A380 (320,000 liters), in a simple conversion according to list rates, would cost almost PLN 1.04 million net, not including airline discounts. For the turboprop Bombardier Q400 (6.5 thousand liters), it would be just over PLN 21 thousand net. On the other hand, refueling AVGAS fuel for a Cessna 152 (142 l) by an individual would cost just over PLN 1,700 gross.
Jet fuel in carriers' costs
The International Air Transport Association, IATA, forecasts that jet fuel will account for 31 percent of total airline costs in 2024. The bill is expected to reach $924 billion. By comparison, in 2001-2003 the percentage was 12-13 percent. Airline fuel today is 2.5 times more expensive compared to 2000. The average price in the world is just under $92 per barrel. And while these are still large sums of money, jet fuel is almost a fifth cheaper than it was a year ago (mid-November 2024 data). With high oil prices and a strong dollar, fuel accounted for up to 40 percent of carriers’ costs.
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