Air BP to unveil new Operators University at LABACE 2013.

Tuesday 13th August 2013

Leading international fuel supplier Air BP will be presenting its innovative Operators University training product - booth 5004/5006 - at this year's Latin American Business Aviation Conference and Exhibition (LABACE) when it takes place in Sao Paulo, Brazil, 14 - 16th August. The detailed training programme has been designed to train Air BP refuelling staff to achieve Air BP's highest operational standards. The courses, which will be delivered by qualified Air BP instructors, develop theoretical as well as practical thinking, and utilise a specially equipped training facility located in Campo de San Marte.  This houses specific aviation equipment including pneumatic and hydraulic training simulators, cutting tools, and an aircraft wing to practice fuelling operations and safety procedures. To maintain the standards operators will be evaluated during training and within the work place.

In addition to promoting the University benefits, the Brazilian team will present LABACE delegates with a specific offer for the regional bulk market which incorporates equipment training packages. The core element of this offering is the Operators University which will provide continuous technical training to Air BP operator customers. It is anticipated that the University will be fully operational by the end of the year and will then be emulated in emerging markets around the globe.

"Safety is at the core of our business and the 'University' will demonstrate to our customers that Air BP is committed to providing sustainable, safe and reliable fuelling services in the country. Initially the training will be for Air BP employees but we will use LABACE to discuss the specific needs of visitors so that we can develop bespoke training for the industry," said Miguel Moreno, General Aviation Manager of Air BP.

The University has been set up in response to the growing demand for aviation fuel services across the region and is designed to complement the existing OMEGA training product that Air BP offers to customers. The acronym stands for Operations Manual for External General Aviation, and is a comprehensive training product designed by Air BP to ensure that customers can achieve the highest levels of operating safety standards when handling fuel.  The OMEGA programme highlights operational best practice from the moment fuel arrives with the customer and advises on safe storage, in addition to quality testing through an advanced check list.

Air BP has noted positive growth since it began operations in Brazil in 2002. It now serves clients across the full spectrum of commercial, general and military aviation at 19 airports. "Brazil has become an extremely important aviation region for us," says Moreno, "our very capable and skilful team has built a reputation for excellence and this, combined with the country's recent strong economic growth, has underpinned a significant increase in Air BP's   business aviation activity."  The Sterling Card has also been well received with over 500 card carriers now regularly taking advantage of its benefits which include dedicated account managers, easy access to current fuel pricing, paperless invoicing via the eNabler electronic invoicing system and instant access to account statements.  In the General Aviation sector Air BP is continuing to develop its bulk, equipment, maintenance and technical assistance services for its customers.

About Air BP

Air BP is one of the world's largest suppliers of aviation fuels (Jet kerosene and aviation gasoline) and currently supplies over 7 billion gallons to its customers across the globe each year.

Air BP fuels more than 8,700 flights every day - that's one every 10 seconds (JIG data & internal technical stats from 2012)

The company operates at over 600 global locations in over 45 countries serving customers from the private pilot to some of the world's largest airlines.

www.airbp.com