Shell Aviation celebrates 50 years in Dubai

17 May 2017 – Dubai, UAE — Shell Aviation celebrates 50 years of operations in the emirate of Dubai, a milestone which reflects the transformation of a quiet airfield into Dubai International (DXB) –the busiest airport for international passenger traffic in the world.

Shell began supplying fuel to Dubai in the late 1960s and quickly recognised its potential, relocating its Middle East regional headquarters to the emirate in 1971. In 1985, Shell built a pipeline to transport aviation fuel to DXB, replacing transportation by road.

Today, Shell Aviation provides aviation fuels, lubricants and services at both DXB and Dubai’s newest airport, Dubai World Central (DWC), refueling more than 2,600[1] aircraft a month.

“The tremendous growth of DXB is such a great story of success, and we are proud to have been a part of this journey. We would like to thank Dubai Airports and all our partners for this long-term collaboration,” said Richard Pereira, Shell Aviation’s incoming General Manager for Asia and the Middle East. “We are committed to continually supporting the progress of Dubai’s aviation industry, creating outstanding value for our customers and growing our cooperation.”

Pereira was speaking during the Global Airport Leaders Forum, which was held as part of the Airport Show at the Dubai International Conference and Exhibition Centre (DICEC) between 15-17 May 2017.

The Global Airport Leaders Forum covers global strategic challenges and opportunities facing airport operators, regulators and airport industry suppliers. It is convened under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports and Chairman and CEO of Emirates Airlines.

To mark the 50-year anniversary, Pereira presented Paul Griffiths, chief executive officer of Dubai Airports, with a commemorative plaque.

“Shell Aviation has been a long-trusted partner of Dubai Airports. We share an uncompromising commitment to safety, customer focus and a passion for the work we do,” Griffiths said, “We look forward to many more years of continued and valued collaboration.”

 To support Dubai’s transformation into one of the world’s most important aviation hubs, Shell has built up a local team of aviation experts and invested in pipelines and storage capacity expansion. Shell extended operations to Dubai World Central (DWC) when that airport opened in 2010. Airlines and other operators can also access Shell Aviation’s high-quality AeroShell lubricants portfolio through Shell’s distributor network.

In 2016, Shell Aviation reached the 12th anniversary of the implementation of its Goal Zero safety standard at DXB. Goal Zero is a company-wide initiative targeting no harm to people and no leaks.

Shell also supplied its bitumen products to pave two runways at DXB in 2014. With Dubai airports surpassing 70 million airline passengers during that year, the project was a major logistics challenge.

[1] Based on the average number of refuelings in Dubai per month from January 2015 to November 2016.