About Shell Aviation
No industry embodies the spirit of invention and engineering excellence with the same grace and thrill as aviation. We鈥檙e proud of the role we鈥檝e played in its history.
Since the beginning
At Shell, we鈥檙e proud of our part in aviation鈥檚 history 鈥� and even more passionate about helping to enable its future. Committing our resources and expertise to overcome challenges, great and small, is integral to our reputation and why people like working with us.
We鈥檝e been honoured to help drive progress through collaboration with some of aviation鈥檚 greatest visionaries. We supported Louis Bleriot on his pioneering flight across the English Channel in 1909. We assisted Sir Frank Whittle as he developed his game-changing jet engine. And we鈥檝e built a robust infrastructure to ensure a secure supply of quality jet fuel around the world to power our industry today.
No industry embodies the spirit of invention and engineering excellence with the same grace and thrill as aviation. There has never been a more exciting time to be involved in aviation.
Not your typical supplier
The aviation industry depends on access to the highest quality fuels and lubricants, wherever and whenever people want to fly. From global airlines to private pilots, we help create value for our customers through the safe and timely supply of high-quality aviation fuels and a comprehensive range of high-performance aviation lubricants and fluids.
We are not content with simply supplying high quality products and services. Our expertise stretches far beyond selling lubes and fuels. At Shell, we understand that operational approaches can significantly impact on the profitable and safe operation of our customers鈥� businesses. Collaboration helps us to transform complex, operational issues into opportunities, and anticipate the challenges ahead. The most important factor in delivering for our partners is listening carefully to their needs in or order to understand what really matters to them.
Industry Leadership
Our customers need more than fuel and lubricants to ensure optimal performance, they need a partner committed to driving their business forward. Every day we push the boundaries of research and development in order to find ways to better serve our customers. Our team of specialist aviation scientists work at a specialist aviation research facility in the United States, where they explore and create new and innovative premium fuels and additives. They can also draw on the expertise of Shell scientists around the world that develop fuels for other sectors.
We also play a leadership role in developing standards and best practices across safety, ops and product quality with industry collaborations such as:
- IATA 鈥�25 year strategic partnership (since 2004)
- SAE International
- Defence Standards
- Joint Inspection Group, Federal Aviation Administration , ASTM, Coordinating Research Council.
- Energy Institute
Partnerships
Working alongside equipment manufacturers and customers is at the core of what we do. Shell鈥檚 Isaac Lubbock collaborated with Frank Whittle on the 鈥淪hell鈥� combustion chamber, making a crucial contribution to getting his visionary jet engine into the air. Since then we have partnered with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and aviation customers for more than a century, jointly developing, testing and approving products used in global aviation every day.
Building strong alliances with OEMs as they develop engines and equipment is important for the development of fuels and lubricants formulations. We have strong experience collaborating with these companies. Recent examples include work to improve the thermo-stability of jet fuel additives with GE, KLM and Airbus, developing airframe greases with Boeing, and testing a natural-gas-derived gas to liquids (GTL) kerosene blend with Rolls Royce, Airbus and Qatar Airways.
We also work closely with industry groups and academic institutions on technology development, such as the Federal Aviation Administration funded partner programme at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, flight testing of novel fuels at the Technical University of Delft, and a joint collaboration programme with the University of Sheffield and Rolls-Royce.
