During September’s NATO summit, Gulf Aviation came to Cardiff Heliport’s rescue by providing urgent fuel supplies to keep the emergency aircraft airborne.

The NATO global gathering of world leaders brought stringent security measures to Cardiff including five police helicopters which needed to be refuelled constantly, as well as an air ambulance and a military chopper.

The heliport, which usually goes through an average of 10,000 litres of aviation fuel a month, needed an urgent resupply after more than 30,000 litres were drained from its stockpile in three days. Gulf Aviation, a division of national fuel and lubricants supplier Certas Energy, came to the heliport’s aid by securing an urgent transportation of fuel from Grangemouth in Scotland to the Welsh Capital.

Paul Stanfield, head of operations at Cardiff Heliport, said: “I have never seen the heliport so busy. We have a capacity to hold 40,000 litres of fuel, but at the rate our fuel supply was being depleted, we wouldn’t have had enough fuel for the police helicopters to deal with anything unplanned. Gulf went above and beyond to supply the emergency transportation of fuel, which thankfully arrived less than 24 hours after I called them.

“For the last few years we have seen a reduction in businesses using the heliport as a base, and we’re used almost as a refuelling station for passing trade. We are looking to take the heliport in a new direction and are currently looking for a new operator with fresh ideas to develop this with us.”

David Dykes, the Supply, Logistics & Commercial Manager at Gulf Aviation said: “We were happy to be able support Cardiff Heliport with the emergency fuel they needed in order to see the NATO summit through. Making sure we give a personal and customer focussed service is an integral part of our offering.”

About Gulf Aviation:

Gulf Aviation delivers aviation fuels and lubricants to a wide range of customers throughout the UK, including private flying clubs, helicopter operators, air taxis, charter and management companies and regional airports. Its turnkey operation allows it to focus on its customers by building relationships built on trust, service, and quality.

About Certas Energy:

With a network of more than 150 depots, nearly 1,000 tankers and 2,500 employees, Certas Energy is one of the largest independent distributors of fuels and lubricants in the UK.  Through its robust infrastructure, Certas Energy can consistently and reliably deliver billions of litres of high quality fuel to customers across the UK.

Did you know that Certas Energy:

•Delivers over 6 billion litres of oil every year
•Supplies fuel to approximately 1,600 retail forecourts, comprising both its own Gulf and Pace brands and independent branded retailers
•Is a major supplier of transport fuels through its branded fuel cards business
•Offers specialist lubricant products to all commercial sectors
•Provides additional services including boiler maintenance, tanks, additives and specialist fuels