Operations Control CenterAlready carrying a UVair or World Fuel card?
LFS works with the card you hold — acceptance checked station by station, card price benchmarked against a local contract release, and a standby release behind it so an authorisation failure never holds the aircraft.
A fuel card is a settlement method, not a supply guarantee. It tells the into-plane agent how the invoice gets paid; it does not secure the bowser, the handler nomination, the ramp access or the permit. Across the Gulf, North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa the gap between "the card is accepted" and "the aircraft is fuelled on time" is where most delays live. LFS closes that gap without asking you to give up the card.
Card networks are generally honoured at the main international gateways through the national into-plane supplier, but the fuel is still physically supplied by BAPCO, Aramco, ENOC, ADNOC, KAFCO or QJet.
- The card settles the invoice; it does not by itself secure the bowser slot, the handler nomination or the ramp access.
- Card pricing at Gulf gateways is normally posted-plus. A local LFS contract release is often the cheaper line on the same uplift.
- Authorisation calls out of hours are the common delay — we hold a standby release so the aircraft is not waiting on a terminal.
Acceptance is patchy outside the primary airports, and several stations require the supplier to be nominated in advance regardless of what card you carry.
- At secondary Egyptian and Iraqi fields the into-plane agent may decline card settlement and ask for a supplier release or prepayment.
- Local taxes and throughput fees are frequently outside the card's quoted differential and are invoiced separately.
- LFS pre-clears the station before the crew plans on the card, so the answer arrives before the aircraft does.
The least reliable region for card-only planning. Many into-plane operators work on prepayment or on a release from a supplier they already hold a contract with.
- Plan a release, not a card, as the primary method here and keep the card as the fallback.
- Foreign-exchange and local-content rules can force settlement through a domestic entity the card network does not cover.
- LFS issues credit releases into this network daily, which is normally the difference between a same-day and a next-day uplift.
Broad card acceptance at business aviation FBOs, including World Fuel Services' own into-plane positions such as London Luton.
- Card pricing here is competitive; the comparison against a contract release is worth running per uplift rather than assuming either way.
- VAT and excise treatment depends on the flight's status — commercial versus private — and is often the largest variable, not the fuel price.
- LFS benchmarks the card price against a local release and tells you which is lower in writing before you commit.
| Point of comparison | Fuel card (UVair / WFS / AEG / Colt) | LFS contract release |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing basis | Network posted price, often plus a local merchant margin | Platts plus filed differential, into-plane fee and taxes, quoted all-in |
| Acceptance | Depends on the into-plane agent at that station | Issued directly to the agent LFS already contracts with |
| Out-of-hours risk | Authorisation call or terminal outage can hold the bowser | Release is with the agent before ETA, no live authorisation needed |
| Credit | Against your card limit | Against LFS credit, settled on one consolidated invoice |
| Covers permits & handling | No — fuel only | Coordinated on the same trip file |
| Dispute evidence | Card statement | Witnessed delivery ticket with density and meter readings |
We confirm with the into-plane agent at the actual station — not from a published list — whether your UVair, World Fuel Services, AEG or Colt card will be honoured, in which currency, and with what surcharge.
For the same aircraft, station and uplift we quote the LFS all-in contract price next to your card price, so the comparison is line for line: differential, into-plane fee, throughput and taxes.
Where the station is marginal, LFS issues a backup credit release to the into-plane agent. If the card authorisation fails or the terminal is down, the uplift still happens on LFS credit and the departure holds.
A ramp agent witnesses the uplift, records the density and meter readings and sends the delivery ticket with the trip sheet, so a disputed card invoice can be settled with evidence rather than argument.
Fuel cards buy fuel. Overflight and landing permits, slots and PPR, ground handling, crew transport and catering sit outside them — LFS coordinates those on the same trip file and one consolidated invoice.
Card statements are checked against the quoted differential, the uplifted quantity and the recorded density. Discrepancies are raised with the supplier on your behalf.
- I hold a UVair card — can LFS still handle my fuel?
- Yes. LFS works alongside the card rather than against it. We verify that the into-plane agent at your station accepts UVair, quote our own contract release for the same uplift so you can compare, and hold a standby release in case the card authorisation fails. You decide which one settles the invoice.
- Is a World Fuel Services card accepted across the Middle East?
- At the main Gulf gateways it is generally honoured through the national into-plane supplier, and World Fuel Services also holds into-plane positions of its own in Europe, such as London Luton. Outside the primary airports — parts of Egypt, Iraq and much of Sub-Saharan Africa — acceptance is inconsistent, so we confirm the specific station before the crew plans on it.
- Will using my card be cheaper than an LFS contract release?
- Sometimes, and it varies by station. Card pricing is often posted-plus with a merchant margin added locally, while an LFS contract release is filed against the regional differential. We publish both figures for your uplift and let the numbers decide instead of arguing the principle.
- What happens if the card is declined at the ramp?
- If we are on the trip, a standby LFS credit release is already with the into-plane agent, so the bowser is authorised and the aircraft departs on schedule. Settlement is sorted afterwards. Without that fallback, a declined authorisation at an out-of-hours station usually means a delay until the card issuer's desk opens.
- Can I keep my card and let LFS handle the rest of the trip?
- Yes, and many operators do exactly that. Fuel settles on your card while LFS runs permits, slots, handling, crew logistics and ramp supervision on a single trip file with one invoice.
- Does LFS accept AEG, Colt or other fuel cards?
- Where the into-plane agent accepts them, yes — AEG Fuels, Colt International and the other major networks are used at stations that honour them. Where they are not accepted, we supply on an LFS contract release instead.
- How do I get a station-by-station acceptance check?
- Send the route, aircraft and dates to OPS@LFS.AERO or use the form on this page. The fuel desk comes back with acceptance per station, the card price against our contract release, and any local surcharge or tax that sits outside the card.