SubscribeFor every minute that an aircraft is on the ground, money is dripping, wasted, onto the tarmac. The Automated Fuel Handling System FHS plugs the hole of manual inefficiency and gets planes into the air faster.
The into-plane agency is an airline’s lifeblood, the vital link in the ground handling chain, and the efficiency of an airline is directly dependent on the efficiency of the into-plane agency. It is essential that outdated, unproductive refuelling processes are replaced with new technology. After all, any airline is a premium customer, demanding a service that is fast and reliable, and the longer an aircraft is on the ground the more unproductive it is.
As cost efficiency becomes increasingly important, there is continuing pressure to optimise logistics operations. Even today, into-plane agencies often fill out delivery tickets manually. Not only is this a waste of time, it is also fault sensitive. More than this, a single refuelling takes far longer than it would under an optimized process and more vehicles are needed to cover the refuelling request especially at peak times.
Ideally, the number of vehicles involved in the operation should be as small as possible and those that are used should be exploited to the full. An efficient refuelling system will heavily reduce paper based operations and reduces all vehicles that are outside the main focus of the aircraft being refuelled. With Fuel Handling System (FHS) from GlobeFuel, the vehicle is ready for the next refuelling as soon as it is disconnected from the aircraft. FHS allows into-plane agencies to reduce the number of vehicles and staff necessary for refuelling.
Improved communication and data flow
FHS is designed to monitor and control aircraft refuelling operations from the supply point, via storage facilities, into the aircraft to get more optimized workflow compared to normal paper based operation. Optimal information transfer between the business partners is ensured by means of sophisticated data communication techniques.
A data link from the airport information system supplies the online refueller with all necessary information about the actual flight schedule. A datalink between the customer’s BlockFuel Flight Planning System and FHS provides the procedure for electronic ordering of fuel. The final fuel volume required is transmitted to the refueller and the refuelling operation can take place immediately after arrival, without further involvement of airline staff.
FHS advises the supervisor on the next refuelling service required and provides details on the aircraft, refueller and operator concerned with the operation. The supervisor and fuel operator communicate by radio, and electronic meters are integrated in the data flow to ensure an optimized load of vehicle and operator.
Planning and control of fuel supplies and relevant contracts involved with inventory control and stock management are carried out by FHS in order to ensure the efficient supply of fuel. Fuel orders with the oil company are handled electronically, figures for the sales department of the oil companies are provided by the data-clearing capability that interfaces the existing EDI-systems (Airline, IPs and Oil Companies). All incoming data is collected, evaluated and processed, and the data flow between the parties monitored. Modular in design, the system is suitable for regional, national and large international airports.
The FHS-System is scalable from a small stock-keeping installation via remote desktop over the standalone FHS-Basic installation, up to a complete airfield management system. So however you have to refuel a 747 at LAX or a Cessna anywhere in Australia, FHS will be right sized to your demands. The type of installation grows with customer needs and is easily upgraded as daily operations or the automation of processes increases.
Recent installations cover 26 airports and airfields in Australia. Each airport is individually connected to a regional server to enable decentralised ticket entry and centralised accounting. The number of connected airports will double in 2004. Similar servers in Europe and America are under construction.
