A fuel stop, or technical stop, is an unscheduled or scheduled landing made solely to refuel the aircraft, without allowing passengers to embark or disembark, before continuing to the final destination.
What Is a Fuel Stop?
A fuel stop, also called a technical stop, is a landing made solely to refuel an aircraft before it continues to its final destination, with passengers remaining onboard or in a sterile transit area rather than clearing immigration. It is not a scheduled destination and does not appear as a separate ticketed segment in most cases.
Fuel stops were common on long-haul routes before the development of extended-range twin-engine aircraft. Airlines used cities like Anchorage, Gander, and Shannon as refueling points on transpacific and transatlantic routes throughout the 1960s-1990s. Modern wide-body aircraft with greater range have made fuel stops rare on commercial routes, but they remain standard practice for private jets flying ultra-long-range city pairs that exceed the aircraft's maximum range.
How It Works
During a fuel stop, the aircraft lands, taxis to a fueling position, takes on jet fuel, and departs again, typically within 45 minutes to 90 minutes. Passengers on commercial flights usually stay onboard; on private charters, passengers may deplane briefly into a fixed-base operator (FBO) lounge while the aircraft is serviced. No customs or immigration processing occurs unless the stop is in a country requiring transit clearance. Common technical-stop airports include Bangor (BGR), Shannon (SNN), Anchorage (ANC), and Keflavik (KEF), chosen for their runway length, fuel availability, and position along polar or oceanic routing.
Where to Find It
Fuel stops today are most common in private and business aviation. A light or midsize jet flying from the U.S. East Coast to Europe, or from the West Coast to Asia, often cannot complete the trip nonstop and requires one technical stop. Long-range and ultra-long-range jets, such as those capable of 6,000+ nautical miles, can eliminate most fuel stops on transatlantic routes but may still need one on transpacific or polar routings depending on winds and payload. Commercial nonstop flights have largely eliminated scheduled fuel stops on major long-haul city pairs.
Traveler Tip
If chartering a smaller jet for a transoceanic trip, ask upfront whether a fuel stop is required — it can add one to two hours to total trip time and may involve deplaning at an unfamiliar airport. CEOFLIGHTS specialists can help find discounted fares — call (888) 851-6897.
