Story ID: 320 WorldFuel.doc
Colt buy give WFS bigger regional presence
By: Curt Epstein
Caption: World Fuel Services believes Middle East customers are becoming more cost-conscious, as aircraft become more efficient.
Word Count: 567
Global aviation services provider World Fuel Services (WFS) is here at MEBA (Stand 605) displaying its range of flight support products, ranging from aviation fuel distribution to flight planning, and to promote its own network of fixed-base operations (FBO).

The Air Elite Network is a group of high-end FBOs founded in 2011, which must meet a stringent set of requirements for admission, such as the quality of their passenger and crew facilities as well as the services and amenities they offer. The Middle East region has two such locations, both of which are in the UAE: Jet Aviation’s facility at Dubai International Airport, and Royal Jet at Abu Dhabi International Airport. Both offer quadruple rewards points in WFS’s FlyBuys customer loyalty program.

“Our Air Elite FBOs provide a consistency for our customers flying to the Middle East and our Middle Eastern customers flying to the U.S. and worldwide,” said Caroline Pennington, the Miami, Florida-based company’s director of business aviation market development for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. “The Air Elite Network has been growing and adding new members since it was established; we hope to continue this upward trend by adding locations in this region and worldwide.” Presently there are 34 locations in the network around the globe.

According to Pennington, business aviation activity in the Gulf region has been good of late, with fuel sales growing steadily over the past year. “A number of airports are being built in the region which has us hopeful that this will stimulate further growth over the next few years,” she said, adding that while aircraft in the region are growing steadily larger, they are also becoming more fuel-efficient.

“Middle Eastern customers are especially discerning and require flexibility, while becoming increasingly price conscious,” she noted. “Our flexible approach to credit aids our efforts to meet these customer preferences.” The company’s AVCARD is accepted for a variety of aviation services including fuel, catering, aircraft charter, pilot training and maintenance at more than 7,500 locations in more than 200 countries worldwide.

WFS works with numerous suppliers and is present at most major commercial and business aviation airports. For its contract fuel customers in the region, the company offers 24/7 dispatch and full support through its Dubai-based office staff. “Competition is fierce due to the number of suppliers and handlers in the region,” said Pennington, “but we feel that the WFS offering is more than able to cater to demand.”

WFS bolstered its general aviation offerings earlier this year with the announcement that it has signed an agreement to purchase Colt International, another contract fuel and international trip-planning provider, for approximately $63 million. Together the two companies have a strong presence in the region. “We look forward to welcoming the Colt team to World Fuel Services,” said WFS chairman, president and CEO Michael Kasbar. “Colt will further expand our global presence in contract fuel and international trip-planning services, driving strategic synergies in our growing general aviationbusiness.”

WFS says the Middle East is one of the fastest-growing regions in terms of demand for its online trip support through the BaseOps brand. “We can support almost any aircraft operator at almost any location in the Middle East,” said Pennington. “Also we continue to grow our service network, expanding the handlers and service providers who work directly with clients and vendors.”