GEC NEWS WIREAir BP, an international aviation fuel products and service supplier, returned to the Dubai Air Show, held at Dubai World Central. Simultaneously Air BP also rolled out its digital Airfield Automation technology at Emirates Flight Training Academy, EFTA, located at Al Maktoum International Airport. This is the first location in the region to benefit from the new technology which aims to enhance safety, reliability and compliance in airport fuelling operations.
Established by Emirates airline to train pilots, EFTA opened in December 2017 and currently offers a fleet of 22 Cirrus SR22 training aircraft and five Embraer Phenom 100EV business jets. Air BP was the first to fuel EFTA’s aircraft when it fuelled two Cirrus SR22 training aircraft as part of its contract to supply the new academy with Avgas.
The rollout of Airfield Automation at EFTA is part of a global programme by Air BP. The technology is already live at more than 100 airports in 13 countries on four continents. More than 45,000 over-wing fuelling have been completed where fuelling operators and customers have benefited from Airfield Automation’s unique Misfuel Prevention Technology, which helps to reduce the risk of misfuelling. Most recently, Air BP rolled out the technology to its locations in Greece at Megara, Syros, Ioannina King Pyrros and Sitia airports. It is anticipated that the technology will be fully operational at around 350 locations globally by the end of 2020.
Airfield Automation is a cloud-based platform that is designed to help prevent misfuelling by means of an engineering barrier. It helps to deliver enhanced safety, reliability and compliance in airport fuelling operations, and enables Air BP to provide data in real time to airline customers. It is the first commercially deployed system of its kind in the world.
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.
In addition to the enhanced safety barriers, aircraft operators will also benefit from faster, more comprehensive and more accurate fuelling and delivery data. The cloud-based technology will enable Air BP to offer increasingly integrated information to customers, such as delivery records and precise delivery timings.
Robert Gerritsen, General Manager, Air BP Middle East and Northern Africa, comments, “We are delighted to be exhibiting at the Dubai Air Show and to be rolling out Airfield Automation at Emirates Flight Training Academy. Our success in the Middle East is based on our track record in safe and reliable operations. Misfuelling is one of the biggest risks we face in our industry. With this new technology, we are providing an engineering barrier to help prevent misfuelling which is good news for our region and good news for our industry.”
Air BP has been active in the Middle East for nearly 90 years and currently markets fuel at 26 locations across the region, providing fuel and services to around 100 general aviation, commercial aviation and military customers. Through its joint ventures, the business has a presence in the UAE, Iraq, Egypt, Bahrain, Tunisia, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and Oman.
