Commercial aircraft tankering is the practice of carrying more fuel than needed for a particular flight leg to reduce refuelling costs at the destination airport.

This is done when fuel is cheaper at the departure airport compared to the arrival airport, leading to overall cost savings for the airline.

Good news, a tankering option is now available on the skybook EFB app.

Types of Tankering

Full Tankering
Carrying all the fuel needed for both the outbound and return flights, avoiding refuelling at the destination entirely.

Partial Tankering
Carrying extra fuel but still requiring some refuelling at the destination.

Economic Tankering 
Optimising the fuel load based on a cost-benefit analysis, considering weight penalties and fuel burn.
 

Factors Affecting Tankering Decisions

• Fuel Price Differences – If the destination airport has significantly higher fuel prices.
• Aircraft Performance – Carrying extra fuel increases weight, which leads to higher fuel consumption.
• Runway Length & Performance Limits – Heavier aircraft require longer runways for take-off.
• Regulatory & Environmental Considerations – Some regulations or environmental policies may discourage excessive fuel tankering due to increased CO₂ emissions.

 

Commercial tankering option on EFB

Airlines can effortlessly record tankering fuel amounts per flight using the Journey Log on the skybook EFB solution.

With a dedicated tankering option in the fuel section, this information is automatically logged to the ground, within the post-flight reports Record Vault.

Enabling dispatch and fuel efficiency teams to seamlessly track fuel requirements across different routes, ensuring better planning, efficiency and regulatory compliance.

Integrating your fuel orders on EFB app

Requesting extra fuel for tankering is effortless using skybook.

Pilots can easily place fuel order requests directly through the EFB app, with submissions instantly routed either to your integrated eFuel provider or straight to the flight’s dispatcher for fast, efficient processing.

This feature enables the crew to request additional fuel beyond the required amount and specify the reason for the extra fuel.

Speeding up pre-flight & post-flight processes

While tankering can save money, it must be carefully managed to avoid excess fuel burn from carrying additional weight.

It can also help reduce turnaround time by minimising the need for ground refuelling, especially beneficial at airports with slow fuel services or to avoid delays at busy locations.

Logging tankering on the EFB further enhances flight data for operators.

If you're aiming to streamline pilot workflows by logging aircraft tankering and fuel order requests directly through the EFB app, be sure to schedule a skybook demonstration.