Jet Fuel for
Private Jets
Jet-A and Jet A-1, the three layers of a fuel price, fuel releases instead of cards, ramp fees and the uplift that waives them, tankering and ReFuelEU, mineral oil tax and VAT for Part 91 crews in Europe, and where supply runs short.
Reviewed by Kevin Singh, Founder · Fact-checked against Icarus Jet fleet and airport operations data · Last updated 10 September 2026
The working reference
How fuel works for a private flight
Jet-A in North America and Jet A-1 almost everywhere else power every turbine aircraft the desk files, turboprop or jet; AVGAS 100LL is for pistons. Fuel is roughly 35 percent of an aircraft's operating cost, so how it is bought matters more than most line items. A fuel price has three layers: the product, the into-plane fee for delivering it to the aircraft, and the airport or handling surcharge, and retail posted prices bundle all three at a premium while a contract programme separates them. Uplifts are authorised by an emailed fuel release against the tail number, the ICAO airport and the volume; branded fuel cards are gone. In the United States FBOs charge a ramp fee when no fuel is bought, and the uplift that waives it is calculated against the weight and the price at the next stop, which is what tankering software does. In Europe a crew that cannot show an AOC at the pump pays mineral oil tax and VAT up front, reclaimable afterwards in most states, while AOC operators are exempt at the point of sale; ReFuelEU now limits how much fuel can be tankered into EU airports. Rates hold for a week in the Americas and Europe and for 15 or 30 days in the Middle East and Asia, and move with exchange rates. Supply is thin on the small islands and across the African interior, so a backup release rides with every stop, and during the 2026 Gulf disruption the Cairo and Athens uplifts became the corridor. The desk quotes the uplift with the trip, sizes it to the ramp fee and the next stop, and carries the tax paperwork.
The three layers of a fuel price
The base product cost, the into-plane fee charged for delivering it to the aircraft on the ramp, and the airport or handling surcharge on top. Retail posted prices bundle all three; contract or programme pricing separates them so the real cost is visible. Operators rarely pay list price.
Fuel releases
An emailed authorisation against the tail number, the ICAO destination and the volume, accepted by the supplier and the FBO at civilian and military fields worldwide with no physical card. The desk asks for at least two hours' notice and some locations want 24, and a release cancelled inside 24 hours or not used can carry a fee.
Ramp fees and the waiver
US FBOs charge a ramp fee when an aircraft buys no fuel, and waive it at a minimum uplift. The uplift is sized against the fuel weight and the price at the next stop, so the aircraft carries extra gallons from a cheap base and takes the minimum at the dear field. This practice is rare outside the United States.
Tankering and ReFuelEU
Tankering carries fuel bought cheaply at one stop to avoid a dear one, within the landing weight and the performance. ReFuelEU now requires operators to uplift most of the fuel they need at EU airports, which limits tankering into the EU and changes the maths on a Europe rotation. The Europe hub carries the detail.
Tax in Europe
Commercial operators with an AOC are exempt from mineral oil tax and VAT at the point of sale on presenting the certificate. Private and Part 91 operators pay both up front and reclaim the VAT afterwards in most EU states, which needs the invoices kept and the claim filed. The fueller asks for the AOC at the pump.
Where supply runs short
The small islands, Bora Bora among them, the Bahamas out islands and the African interior, where a release can go unrecognised and the desk carries a backup supplier and pre-confirmed payment terms. Congested resort airports in season, Nice during the festival, take fuel on arrival so the truck queue does not cost the departure slot. In the 2026 Gulf disruption, Cairo and Athens carried the uplifts.
Where it applies
How the rule changes by region
United States
Ramp fees when no fuel is bought and the waiver at a minimum uplift; tankering from the base to the dear fields; fuel releases at every FBO and military field.
Europe and the UK
Mineral oil tax and VAT for non-AOC crews, exempt for AOC operators at the pump; ReFuelEU limits on tankering; fuel on arrival at Nice in season; 24-hour fuel at Luton.
Middle East
Jet A-1 always available at the Gulf business aviation terminals and at Queen Alia and Marka; rates held 15 or 30 days; the 2026 crisis and how it reshaped fuel planning on its own page.
Africa
Fuel releases that can go unrecognised on the ramp, so a backup supplier release and pre-confirmed payment terms at every stop; Nairobi and Cairo the reliable uplifts on the east.
Asia and Australia
Thirty extra minutes of fuel for the South China Sea weather deviations; the Pacific crossing sized around the tech stop; Australian uplifts at the ports of entry.
Caribbean and Pacific
Thin supply on the small islands, so the uplift is planned at the last large field; Bora Bora with limited fuel and Tahiti as the alternative.
Country guides
Where the rule differs by country
The regional pages that carry the detail for this discipline, each with the permit, entry, slot, handling and fuel facts for that country.
Questions
Fuel trip support questions
What fuel does a private jet use?
Jet-A in North America and Jet A-1 in most of the rest of the world, kerosene grades that power every turbine aircraft, turboprop or jet. AVGAS 100LL is for piston aircraft. Sustainable aviation fuel is a drop-in blend that needs no modification to the aircraft.
How is jet fuel priced?
In three layers: the product, the into-plane fee for delivering it to the aircraft, and the airport or handling surcharge. Retail posted prices bundle them at a premium; a contract programme separates them. Rates hold about a week in the Americas and Europe and 15 or 30 days in the Middle East and Asia.
What is a fuel release?
An emailed authorisation against the tail number, the ICAO airport and the volume, accepted by the supplier and the FBO without a physical card. It works at civilian and military fields worldwide and needs at least two hours' notice, sometimes 24.
Why do US FBOs charge a ramp fee?
To recover the cost of the ramp when an aircraft buys no fuel. The fee is waived at a minimum uplift, so the desk sizes the uplift to the waiver against the fuel weight and the price at the next stop.
What is fuel tankering?
Carrying fuel bought cheaply at one stop to avoid buying at a dear one, within the landing weight and the performance. ReFuelEU now limits how much can be tankered into EU airports, which changes the maths on a European rotation.
Do private jets pay VAT on fuel in Europe?
Operators with an AOC are exempt from mineral oil tax and VAT at the pump on showing the certificate. Private and Part 91 crews pay both up front and reclaim the VAT afterwards in most EU states with the invoices kept.
Should I fuel on arrival or before departure?
On arrival at congested airports in season, Nice during the festival and the Grand Prix among them, because the truck queue can cost the departure slot. Before departure where the price or the weight favours it. The desk plans it with the schedule.
Is fuel available on every island?
No. The small islands run short, Bora Bora carries limited fuel and the Bahamas out islands can be dry, so the uplift is planned at the last large field and a backup release rides with the trip.
What happened to fuel in the Middle East in 2026?
Airspace restrictions moved the uplifts to Cairo, Athens and Muscat, prices moved sharply and private flights rerouted rather than cancelled. The Middle East page carries the fuel planning guide.
What does the desk need to arrange fuel?
The tail number and MTOW, the schedule with dates and times, the fuel type and approximate quantity, and whether the crew wants the uplift on arrival or before departure. It comes back with the release issued, the rate quoted and the tax paperwork carried.
Get it filed
Fuel quoted and released with the trip
Send the tail number, the airports and the volume, and the desk comes back with the contract rate and the release. The jet fuel service page has the full programme.
Contact UsPrefer to talk? Call +1 888 277 7203 or email tripsupport@icarusjet.com. The desk is staffed 24/7.