Hong Kong is teaming up to offer the best fueling services across the board.
Hong Kong International Airport's (HKG) largest fueling provider has teamed up with the i6 Group to optimize its refueling operations. AFSC will now have access to real-time data to manage fuel technology at the airport, saving thousands of dollars and time. Let's find out more.
Refueling aircraft has long been a basic system using high-powered lines to deliver up to 1000 liters a minute, monitored by systems on the low-rise trucks and onboard. While advances have been made, mainly in the areas of calculating the fuel load, integrated management systems have been slower to be adopted.
However, one airport has now taken the leap to integrate i6's fuel management technology, known as Fusion. Hong Kong International previously deployed the system and now looking to rollout across the airport's hundreds of daily flights. In a statement, Steve Uhrmacher, CEO of the i6 Group, said,
"Our partnership with AFSC demonstrates our global commitment to the aviation industry. As we continue to expand, we also continue to enable a smarter and greener way of working. We’re looking forward to developing our partnership with AFSC and enhancing their service for their Airline customers.”
With an overall eye for efficiency, there will be a host of new options for the airport to offer now, which are detailed below. From live tracking for fuel vehicles, loading time, customized flight, and dynamic prediction to allocate orders. From integrating oil reserve tankers to vehicles to aircraft, the system will cut down on time and wastage substantially. Simple Flying previously covered how Manchester Airport uses i6 to cut delays.
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i6 Group is no stranger to working with major airlines and airports. The company lists JetBlue, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Air Canada, KLM, and logistics firm Menzies Aviation among its growing list of clients. In total, 150 airport fuel suppliers around the world use Fusion, with HKG only the latest.
Pilots will feel the changes as well, with the ability to go completely paperless by connecting with refuelers over the eHandshake application, where they can review and sign off on fuel loads. This makes for faster turnarounds and keeps all parties in the loop without manual interaction of any kind.
Digitalizing this old and complex system is not easy and requires care to ensure all safety precautions are taken. However, hundreds of fuel suppliers and clients now use i6's systems in some capacity, indicating a highly successful product that will help passengers, airports, and airlines alike.
The efficiency gains don't only help airport and airline bottom lines. They impact the environment too. As the industry targets a net-zero future, i6's five-year study for long-haul flights has found that flights using its into-plane refueling saves 65kgs of fuel per flight, 201kgs of CO2, and reduces operational expense by $240. While this does not seem like much on a per-flight basis, it is a big gain over thousands of daily flights.
What do you think about HKG's latest development with i6? Let us know in the comments!
Lead Journalist – India – Pranjal is an experienced journalist with a strong focus on Indian aviation. His background in political science and economics gives him unique insight into issues surrounding international travel and governmental regulations. Pranjal is enthusiastic about new aircraft types and has his stories regularly picked up by renowned publications including Forbes. Based in New Delhi, India.