TAPETCO settles position in aviation fuelling

The advanced aviation fuelling facilities was constructed in compliance with international standards, and was officially put into operation on November 9, 2016. The engineering phase was executed by Belgium’s Skytanking NV. The facilities were tested and certified by the International Air Transport Association (IATA)’s Fuel Quality Pool (IFQP). Its certification is essential because international airlines mostly rely on IFQP’s findings to determine the use of underground fuelling facilities.

TAPETCO director Nguyen Tan Luc said that Tan Son Nhat International Airport receives more than 600 flights a day. Thanks to the operation of the underground fuelling facilities, it has contributed to reducing the number of refuellers voyages in the apron by 76,650 turns a year and saving nearly 30,000 hours of plane parking.

“It can be imagined that the Boeing B777 (117,000 liters) will require three refuellers (about 38,000 liters per refueller) for 90 minutes to provide enough fuel in an old fuelling method. However, with underground fuelling facilities, it takes only 45 minutes to fully refuel the Boeing B777,” Luc says.

International airports worldwide such as Tan Son Nhat are using underground fuelling facilities. When using underground fuelling facilities, safety - which is the most important factor, is warranted. In addition, the time of refuelling is shortened and eliminating the need of refuellers moving in-and-out of the apron.

In order to maintain high level of safety in operation, TAPETCO has attached much importance to the development of human resources for effective management of technology systems. The company’s key staff members are regularly trained abroad and sent to international forums on aviation fuel quality management to keep up-to-date with the latest international standards on fuel quality management. The company also regularly organizes in-house training courses with the participation of world-class experts on quality management. Thus, after a year of operation, TAPETCO has not stumbled on any incidents that would threaten the security and safety of Tan Son Nhat International Airport, contributing to creating a positive image for the airport in particular and the Vietnamese aviation industry in general. Aviation is an industry that requires security and safety to be at the forefront. In this light, during the operation, TAPETCO has been continuously evaluated by the inspection teams of the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam, the Southern Airports Authority, Japan’s Civil Aviation Bureau in coordination with Japan Airlines, All Nippon Airways and Vanilla Air, the Philippines’ Civil Aviation Authority in coordination with Cebu Pacific, IFQP and other inspection teams of many airlines operating at Tan Son Nhat International Airport. This activity has had positive impacts, helping TAPETCO to further improve service quality and ensure security and safety operation.

TAPETCO is not only a strategic partner of IATA, but also a member of the Joint Inspection Group (JIG) - representing the global aviation fuel industry, which was established by the world’s largest oil corporations to develop a set of standards which aim to ensure the quality of aviation fuel and handling facilities. In order to further enhance TAPETCO’s position in the aviation fuel market, TAPETCO has also invested in the most modern quality testing laboratory in Vietnam. We have been exchanging information and sharing sample testing results with other labs worldwide through the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM).