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  4. Marking a milestone for Airfield Automation

Marking a milestone for Airfield Automation

Release date:
July 2020
Airfield Automation
Misfuelling is one of the biggest risks faced by our industry. So, we are delighted to have marked a milestone of 250,000 fuellings using our Airfield Automation digital technology. The landmark fuelling took place in Adelaide, Australia when we supplied Jet A-1 (with fuel system icing inhibitor) to the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS). 

 

Air bp’s innovative technology has been designed to enhance safety, reliability and compliance in airport fuelling operations. Since launching in May 2018, it has been rolled out to 145 locations across our global network. 

 

Paul Dubenski, Air bp’s global joint venture manager, explains that the cloud-based platform is the first commercially deployed system in the world to provide an engineering barrier to actively help prevent misfuelling.

 

“The platform consolidates the data related to airport fuelling operations and works via an app on a handheld device in the fuelling vehicles. The ‘safe2go’ app captures fuel volume readings and provides fuel grade checks to add an additional misfuelling barrier. It then electronically captures customer details which are confirmed with an electronic signature from the pilot or airline representative.” 

 

 

By using this automated, end-to-end, paperless system, accuracy is enhanced and any potential miskeying errors minimised. What’s more, aside from the enhanced safety barriers, aircraft operators benefit from faster, more comprehensive and more accurate fuelling and delivery data. 

 

 

“Safety and reliability are critical to RFDS providing care in South Australia and the Northern Territory, so innovative systems such as Airfield Automation that prevent the possibility of misfuelling are a welcome addition,” said Damien Heath, head of flying operations for RFDS Central Operations. “The printed dockets are an added benefit which again helps remove errors in documentation,” he added. 

 

 

What’s next for Airfield Automation?

Before many aircraft were grounded due to the Covid-19 pandemic we were completing around 1,000 transactions per day with around 20% of our global fuellings being fulfilled by Airfield Automation reveals Dubenski.

 

“Once lockdown restrictions ease we are ready to press on with rolling out this innovative technology to a total of 350 sites by the end of this year.” He adds, “We will continue to develop the system to provide added value functions for customers. These include helping with back office procedures including reconciling invoices with delivery receipts. We also plan to extend the roll out of Airfield Automation beyond the initial 350 locations to a greater number of primary hubs too.” 

 

 

For more information on Airfield Automation click here.