- Puma Energy Aviation refuelled more than 185 percent more flights in 2022 than in 2020, equivalent to a flight in Botswana every 19 minutes
- Puma Energy Aviation reaffirms commitment to the highest international standards security of supply, safe refuelling and efficiency
Data released by Puma Energy Botswana recently shows the travel and tourism industry in Botswana is growing rapidly.
With tourism accounting for 12.5 per cent of Botswana’s GDP in 2022 the company says the rapid growth underlines the importance of the investments it has made in Botswana’s four main international airports and its local workforce in Botswana.
The quality of fuels used by international airlines is governed by guidelines set by IATA and, as the only supplier of Jet A1 fuel with IATA certification in Botswana, Puma Energy supplies jet fuel at the four international airports nationwide. The new data shows in 2022 Puma Energy Aviation safely refueled over 28,000 flights with Jet A1 and AVGAS at Botswana’s four main airports. This means the number of flights Puma Energy Aviation refueled grew by 185 percent more than the nearly 10,000 refueled in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the World Travel and Tourism Council, tourism accounted for 12.5 per cent of GDP in 2022 and has enormous growth potential. Tourism is supported by the government of Botswana’s commitment to growing the sector as part of its diversification strategy to reduce dependence on any single industry.
Around the world, Puma Energy aviation has earned a reputation for safe, efficient operations that airlines know they can trust for secure supplies of fuel. Puma Energy has invested significantly to ensure international and local airlines can be sure of a safe, efficient and reliable service at Botswana’s four main airports: Sir Seretse Khama International Airport (Gaborone), Kasane International Airport, Phillip Gaonwe Matante International Airport (Francistown) and Maun International Airport.
Puma Energy General Manager, Dominic Dhanah, stated: “Botswana’s stunning landscapes and diverse wildlife attracts tourists from around the world, but first tourists need to get here and when they are here they often have to travel large distances to their final destination. Through commissioning and operating our 112 airports and airfields globally, Puma Energy has built relationships with airlines and aviation fuel facility technical knowledge that benefits all four airports to ensure fueling operations are performed to world-class standards. By providing safe, efficient and reliable aviation fuel for airlines in Botswana, Puma Energy Aviation is playing a key role in the recovery of the travel and tourism industry.
“Puma Energy’s current and planned investment in state-of-the-art refuelling infrastructure and equipment across all airports in Botswana is critical as we work closely with the relevant authorities to support domestic and international airlines. Furthermore, Puma Energy Botswana is a proud Botswana company and we provide internationally recognised training to our locally recruited aviation employees ensuring they are the highest qualified fuel operators on the continent.”
Puma Energy works closely with domestic airlines which are key to the tourist trade including: Air Botswana, Mack Air, Wilderness Air, Kalahari Air Services and Major Blue Air; domestic departments and services like the Department of Wildlife and Parks, Botswana Defence Force and Okavango Air Rescue, as well as a range of international airlines such as Ethiopian Airlines, Fastjet, Airlink, Kenya Airways, Qatar Airways, Emirates, KLM, Lufthansa and American Airways, providing world-class and safe refuelling services.
Currently Puma Energy Aviation operates a 574 000 litres Jet-A1 tank at the Sir Seretse Khama International Airport as well as 341 000 litres of storage capacity across the three other airports in Botswana, ensuring supply security and international service standards. Puma is also preparing for a more sustainable energy future, by investing in solar installation at the Sir Seretse Khama International Airport and Maun International Airport to encourage the deployment of clean energy solutions while simultaneously reducing the carbon footprint of Puma Energy’s operations. Puma Energy has also invested in Avgas infrastructure in Botswana at all four airports and is the only supplier of UL94 Avgas in southern Africa. Lead-free AVGas UL94 is the perfect fuel for small aircraft transporting tourists to remote locations using lead free fuels.
Puma Energy says it is committed to help drive growth and sustainability in Botswana and has invested millions of Pula in the continuous upgrade and development of its facilities and plans to continually invest to ensure compliance to the highest international aviation standards.
