Digital Platform Helps To Reduce The Risk Of Misfueling

Air BP has completed the roll out of its innovative Airfield Automation digital technology across São Paulo state, Brazil. It is estimated that around 150 of Air BP’s airport and operator customers will benefit from the new technology which aims to enhance safety, reliability and compliance in airport fueling operations. This includes many general aviation customers for whom the risk of misfueling is considered greatest.

Brazil is known as South America’s most influential aviation market, with one of the biggest business aviation fleets in the world, a large proportion of which are based in São Paulo. The city is also home to Brazil’s largest fleet of helicopters. Air BP is the supplier at Helicidade São Paulo, one of the largest specialized helicopter service centers in the country, and HBR São Paulo.

"Since we started using Air BP’s Airfield Automation platform in August, the fueling process has become much more streamlined. It is faster and more efficient," said Air BP customer Marco Antônio Beolchi Adami, Captain at Rio Bonito Comunicacão, Helicidade São Paulo. "Refueling and turnaround times can be tight when there are two flights close to each other, and the pilot has a short time to land, refuel, do the post-flight and pre-flight checks and then has to take off immediately. With this technology, we now have an extra layer of safety to help prevent misfueling. It’s a very welcome addition to the location. I am very happy to see that.”

"We are pleased to have successfully installed Airfield Automation in São Paulo and look forward to extending the roll out across Brazil in the coming months," said Ricardo Paganini, Air BP general manager, South America. "With this new technology, we are playing our part in helping to ensure that the fueling process is fast, efficient and safe. Misfueling is one of the biggest risks we face in our industry; our global solution is good news for Brazil and good news for our industry.”

Air BP’s cloud-based platform is designed to prevent misfueling by enhancing safety, reliability and compliance in airport fueling operations, while providing data in real time to airline customers.  It is the first commercially deployed system in the world to provide an engineering barrier to actively help prevent misfueling.

The platform consolidates the data related to airport fueling 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 minimized.

In addition to the enhanced safety barriers, aircraft operators will also benefit from faster, more comprehensive and more accurate fueling 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.

(Image provided with Air BP news release)

FMI: www.airbp.com