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May 1, 2010 12:00 PM

Allied Aviation fuels air travel through Houston

WHEN Air Force One lands at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) in Houston, Texas, it is a virtual certainty that the distinctive blue and white 747 airliner will be refueled by Allied Aviation Services Inc. The company handles most of the aircraft refueling at IAH.

Aircraft refueling is a demanding operation even when it doesn't involve the airplane carrying the President of the United States. Refueling services continue 24/7, 365 days a year under a wide range of weather conditions. It's a tough job that takes rugged, application-specified, and well-maintained equipment.

“We take pride in delivering quality fuel to our airline customers, and we work hard to go beyond their expectations,” says Steve Minter, Allied Aviation maintenance manager at IAH. “We spec good fueling equipment that meets the demands of the job, and we keep the vehicles and other hardware in top shape with an aggressive maintenance program.

“Our performance is measured on timeliness, quality, safety, accuracy, and professionalism. When you're responsible for a fueling system that handles more than 1.5 million gallons of jet fuel a day, there is immense pressure on both the personnel in charge of delivering it and the equipment that is used to complete the process to get the job done correctly and safely.”

Shining light

The IAH fueling operation is one of the shining lights in the system built by New York, New York-based Allied Aviation, reportedly the largest domestically owned provider of fueling services to the commercial aviation industry in the United States. The company is the designated into-place service provider and/or fuel storage facility operator at 24 major airports in North and Central America.

In that role, the company manages the receipt, storage, and delivery of jet fuel used in the operations of airport fuel distribution systems with throughput in excess of six billion total gallons of Jet A every year. This means Allied Aviation plays a role in fueling approximately 1.6 million commercial flights annually.

Allied Aviation has been a long-time partner at IAH, which commenced operations in 1969. The airport has grown from its two original terminals to a total of five in order to meet increased domestic demand, as well as international traffic to and from destinations in South and Central America, Europe, and the Far East.

That demand equates to a daily fuel throughput that peaks at around 1.6 million gallons a day during the summer months. In all, Allied Aviation helps fuel 97% of the aircraft that depart IAH on a yearly basis. On more than one occasion, the flying traffic through the airport has included Air Force One.

With its 55 years of expertise in fuel handling, Allied Aviation played an important role during IAH's many years of expansion. The commitment to the growth of IAH was rewarded in 2007 when Allied Aviation received the prestigious Silver Nozzle Award for Organizational Excellence from the National Petroleum Management Association.

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