How to Refuel a Big Jet Airliners carry large volumes of fuel, allowing them to fly for up to 22 hours. Most of the fuel is stored in the wings and center tanks located in the aircraft’s belly. Some airliners, like the A330 and A340, also store fuel in the horizontal tail-plane and transfer it back and forth during the flight to maintain the most efficient center of gravity. Aviation fuel, known as Jet A or A1, is a refined type of diesel similar to kerosene and has a unique smell that aviation