— Shannon Washington, Sr. Fuel Operations Specialist

If there’s one theme every high-pressured pilot knows, it’s that a VIP client trip is only as good as the smallest details “not” missed.

In other words, perfection is the standard in order for clients to walk away with a favorable trip experience memory and an appetite to continue hiring your team for future trips.

Fuel services is often seen listed as just one category in a long list of ground handling services offered by FPI; however, it’s a category ripe with opportunity for missteps in the form of delays, hassles, and/or unexpected, added costs if the multiple service dots are improperly connected.

It’s for this reason that FPI’s in-house fuel services department is seamlessly aligned with every other department within the company, from operations to invoicing, and nestled within FPI’s custom trip management software, “FPC” (FlightProConnect.com). 

When fuel management is synced with all other flight documents/operations under a single roof, pilots and trip managers can breathe easily knowing that FPI’s comprehensive, 24/7/365 team has everything covered, and the data is available at any hour of the day.

Therefore, both ladies also have vast, two-decades-plus experience with domestic and international fuel services management and the detailed, fast pace that this department demands. Their tenure in this specific industry role translates into great familiarity with the many fuel entities, vendors, brokers, regional regulations, currencies, fuel fees, airport intricacies, and much more.

“One of our key benefits is that we’re a ‘one-stop-shop’ service for our clients,” says Cristina. “FPI’s clients receive the whole fuel management experience through us. We’ve seen nearly every scenario possible, and can help clients better prepare for any fuel-related nuances ahead of them on their trip.”

Shannon concurs, “Our purpose is to take any fuel management concerns off the shoulders of the pilot and their operations teams. Pilots should expect to simply sign the fuel ticket, fuel up, and fly away without hassle or surprises.”

Nuances with fuel services are more common than not when considering the variety of airports, vendor types, and operations styles around the world.

“Each airport’s processes and restrictions differ, and we want to address that in advance vs. allowing the pilot to deal with the differences in the moment, potentially costing precious time and money,” states Cristina.

“For example, some airports prioritize commercial aircraft before GA aircraft, and the fuel team will notify clients in advance of potential delays that may occur.”

The entities involved with their fuel management include

• the fuel credit entity
• the “into-plane” agent
• the ground handling/supervisory agent
• the truck expected to be on site
• and accuracy of price quotes.

“Our job is to ensure that when the aircraft arrives, all of these boots on the ground are arranged and ready. We never want pilots to have to pull out their credit card or worry if the truck is going to be there. It’s planned to be a seamless process for them,” states Shannon.

To maintain utmost accuracy in pricing, Cristina and Shannon apply a hands-on approach to fuel trip pricing several weeks in advance as well as just prior to the trip. With global fuel prices, taxes, fees, and exchange rates ever-changing on a global scale, their 2nd and 3rd reviews of clients’ fuel plans help to avoid cost surprises upon invoicing.

“This greatly helps as we validate and verify all pricing prior to the trip and prior to invoicing,” says Shannon.

It should also be noted that FPI provides credit available globally (including fuel) through their vast network, many of whom have worked with Cristina and Shannon for years.

“There are situations when pilots or client operators lean towards using their own contacts for fuel handling on their trips,” states Cristina. “However, when FPI agents are covering all other aspects of the trip’s management, we can better ensure that gaps are closed when we can also include fuel oversight as part of our comprehensive guidance.

“Should travel plans change or hiccups arise, we’re on top of it if not already ahead of it. We’ve known many of our clients for many years, and it’s a wonderful feeling to know that they trust us because of that.”

On your next journey, allow the Fuel Services Team at FPI to take the fuel management load off your back (if you haven’t already), and rest assured that Cristina and Shannon are only two of the many FPI team members who’ve got your trip covered from ground to skies.

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To learn more about FPI, FPC, or regarding the Compliance, Operations, Regulatory, and other Special Services Network (SSN) teams, please contact our Operations staff here at Flight Pro International.

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