Air BP Launches Airfield Automation Digital Technology in Africa to Help Prevent Misfueling
Air BP, the international aviation fuel products and service supplier is delighted to be returning to the 4th Aviation Africa Summit and Exhibition in Kigali, Rwanda as sponsor and exhibitor. During the event, the company will reinforce its commitment to Africa and highlight the rollout of its new Airfield Automation digital technology recently installed at nine locations across South Africa and Mozambique.
The cloud-based platform is designed to prevent misfueling by enhancing safety, reliability and compliance in airport fueling operations, as well as to provide data in real time to airline customers. Importantly, it strengthens safety barriers and mitigates risks during the fueling process. 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 fueling vehicles. The appropriately named ‘safe2go’ app captures fuel volume readings and provides fuel grade checks to add an additional misfueling barrier. It then electronically captures customer details which are confirmed with an electronic signature from the pilot or airline. By using this automated, end-to-end, paperless system, accuracy is enhanced and any potential mis-keying errors minimized.
Aside from 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.
Anthony Leon, general manager, Southern Africa, Air BP, who will be attending Aviation Africa, comments: “Africa is an important market for us and we plan to continue to grow our business here. We are pleased to have successfully installed Airfield Automation in Mozambique and South Africa. Misfueling is one of the biggest risks we face in our industry and in particular at locations serving General Aviation aircraft. Our new technology provides an engineering barrier to stop it happening which is good news all round.”
Air BP has been present in Africa for more than 75 years. The company currently supplies fuel at 40 network locations and works with around 50 customers across all three sectors (Commercial, General and Military) at nine locations in South Africa; 10 in Egypt; seven in Tunisia; seven in Mozambique; two in Morocco; two in Cape Verde and one each in Mauritius, Ivory Coast and Nigeria. The company’s operations in Africa are supported by around 180 employees.
