@valki Just thinking abstractly here, but what if it was like a shield? As in fighting and taking damage lowers it, and It only regens under the refueling conditions. Abstract it further and have their guns stop firing when they are out of fuel. Maybe change their out of fuel mode, or bingo fuel mode to a slight speed boost to facilitate them escaping to be rearmed. Then it could be harder to actually kill enemy air units, but more advantageous, so you might have to think a bit more about ways to get those kills.
But how, ideally, does everyone imagine refueling stations working? Like don't think of balance, lore, code practicality, what fun and depth could they add to the game?
In my mind, they would boost aircraft effectiveness in a way that requires them to return. Semi-tethering them to an area. Imagine (well, first image that the air staging is just faster in general), T2 gunships who's first volley is triple damage, triple AOE. Viable for snipes here and there, but on the defensive being pushed back to their FOB they can return quicker and quicker to the front line with racks of missiles. Or T1 interceptors have speed just below that of spy planes, for 20 seconds. Allowing them to actually intercept stuff. ASF maybe with a different ability, higher AOE when fueled, or additional homing missiles... With AOE. I like AOE.
Then bombers that need to be ordered to bomb, but then rearm.