A bit of History
TOTAL Servicing Aviation
Providing top class service to the aviation industry in South Africa has been a major part of TOTAL South Africa's commercial business since 1960. A separate company, Air TOTAL was established in South Africa in 1959 and it refuelled its first aircraft, a Boeing 707 of Sabena in January 1960 at the then Johannesburg International Airport.
Air TOTAL South Africa, which has subsequently been disbanded, also achieved a first for the aviation industry in South Africa when it had two 36 000 litre bulk tankers built for service at Johannesburg International Airport, these tankers are still in service today.
Early airline customers of TOTAL included Pan American Airlines, Scandinavian Airline Services, the French airline UAT (now Air France) and BOAC (now British Airways).
TOTAL refuelled its first South African Airways passenger aircraft in Bloemfontein in 1965.
In addition the company also supplies private airlines with aviation fuel. These include Falcon Air, which is part of the Rembrandt Group and Assmang's Beeshoek mine in the Northern Cape.
During the recent World Summit on Sustainable Development, TOTAL was the sole supplier of fuel to foreign aircraft using Waterkloof Air Force base and fuel was supplied to the aircraft of among others, the American Secretary of State, Colin Powell and the British Prime Minister, Tony Blair.
TOTAL has in the past also refuelled the Concorde when it was in South Africa on a special visit, as well as Air Force One of the American President.
| 
