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fueling aviation history
This article originally appeared in the Lamp, 2007 — Number 4
When the Wright Brothers made their historic first flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, in 1903, two predecessor companies of ExxonMobil — Jersey Standard and Vacuum —
provided the fuel and engine oil. Fast-forward a century later to October 2007, and ExxonMobil is part of another flight that made aviation history by being the “First to Fuel” the Airbus A380, the largest passenger airliner ever built.
The first commercial flight
of the A380 took place on October 25 and traveled eight hours from Singapore to Sydney, Australia, followed by a return trip the next day. Singapore Airlines, the first carrier to fly the A380, came up with the ingenious idea of auctioning the passenger tickets for the journey, raising about US$1.3 million (S$1.9 million) for charity. When the airline decided to use the initial A380 flight as a global fundraiser, it invited ExxonMobil to participate, and the company’s response was immediate: ExxonMobil Aviation donated the fuel for the nearly 8,000-mile (12,600-kilometer) round-trip flight.
Worldwide bidders
Singapore Airlines auctioned the tickets on eBay in September. Thousands of hopeful bidders responded during the two-week bidding period, and the highest winning bid was an astonishing US$100,380 for one first-class seat on the maiden flight.
Just before the huge double-decker aircraft rose into the sky at Changi Airport in Singapore, Kwa Chong Seng, chairman and managing director of ExxonMobil Asia Pacific Pte Ltd., commented, “It’s exciting that so many people around the world responded to this landmark flight. ExxonMobil is proud to support this event as a longtime strategic supplier for Singapore Airlines. We’re also pleased the charitable donations from this flight coincide with our continuing efforts to make a positive impact on the communities where we conduct business.”
Longtime supplier
Singapore Airlines invited ExxonMobil Aviation to supply fuel for the flight largely because of the long and mutually beneficial business relationship between the two companies. The core of the relationship is ExxonMobil’s large manufacturing presence in Singapore, but the commercial ties between ExxonMobil Aviation and Singapore Airlines extend around the world.
Because of these connections, ExxonMobil Aviation was able to work closely with Singapore Airlines at the three main cities involved in the A380 flight: Singapore, Sydney and the Airbus manufacturing plant in Toulouse, France. At all of these locations, ExxonMobil’s aviation group provided local specialists to solve problems and facilitate seamless, global service for the big event.
“In addition to the technical expertise and innovation that we provided for this landmark event,” says Kenny Warren, global director of ExxonMobil Aviation, “ExxonMobil Aviation understands, anticipates and constantly works to stay ahead of changing customer needs. We’re one of the world’s leading suppliers of aviation fuel, and we have a dynamic, international team supporting our customers. With offices around the world and a presence at more than 600 airports, ExxonMobil Aviation is a truly global organization.”
Important specialties
In addition to requesting ExxonMobil fuel for the historic flight, Singapore Airlines lubricated the jetliner’s massive, custom-designed Rolls-Royce engines with ExxonMobil lubricants. ExxonMobil’s Lubricants and Specialty Products business has been a supplier to Singapore Airlines for more than 20 years.
To complement its wide-ranging relationship with Singapore Airlines, ExxonMobil Aviation signed a long-term contract with Airbus in 2003 to design and build a new jet fuel facility at the A380 assembly site in Toulouse. As part of the agreement, the company will supply fuel for each Airbus A380 and operate the facility for the testing and operation of every aircraft.
Milestones
“The first commercial A380 flight was a moment in aviation history, a once-in-a-lifetime experience on an aircraft that marks a new chapter in air travel,” says Chew Choon Seng, CEO of Singapore Airlines. “And while we celebrate the event, we also wish to remember the people who are less fortunate and can be assisted by the charities to which all the proceeds will go. We also want to recognize one of our airline’s strategic fuel suppliers, ExxonMobil Aviation, who donated the fuel for the flights.”
From a rickety, one-seat biplane that struggled to fly 200 feet in 1903 to a streamlined, 480-seat technical marvel that can span continents in 2007, ExxonMobil Aviation has always been dedicated to fueling the dreams of aviation pioneers.
