In partnership with fuel management technology scale-up, i6 Group, Virgin Atlantic is taking advantage of digital refueling technology across major US airports, starting with San Francisco (SFO) and Boston Logan (BOS).
Through intrinsically-secure tablets and proprietary i6 software, called eHandshake, Virgin Atlantic pilots will be able to digitally communicate with refuelers to allow for better refuel efficiency. This technology replaces a dated process where paper tickets are manually created and hand-delivered to the Pilot.
By digitizing these tickets, Virgin Atlantic is able to ensure that their fueling data is accurate and they have full transparency from the into-plane operator, including the requested fuel versus the actual refuel amount.
“As we focus on decarbonizing aviation, it’s crucial for us to ensure that every drop of fuel is optimized during the refueling process. eHandshake allows us to collect accurate fueling data and ensure that the aircraft has the optimal amount of fuel for its journey,” said Eve Messenger, fuel manager at Virgin Atlantic.
This digitalization also allows pilots to make real-time adjustments to target fuel amounts based on weight changes and provide into-plane operators, such as PrimeFlight, with a more accurate target fuel amount - minimizing the cost of fuel and aircraft weight.
“i6 technology is helping us to deliver a market-leading refueling service for airlines as the entire industry moves towards increasing operational efficiency and reducing environmental impact,” said Wayne Ingle, VP operations support at PrimeFlight.
Alongside the ability to optimize fuel usage, paperless refueling also facilitates a quicker and safer refueling process. Therefore, Virgin Atlantic passengers will benefit from reduced chances of delays and more fuel-efficient flights.
“Our fuel management technology has been proven to reduce the risk of over-fueling - directly reducing airline fuel costs and carbon emissions. Digitalization speeds up the fuel delivery process by several minutes per refuel and allows for reliable and COVID-safe interaction between the pilot and refueler,” said Steve Uhrmacher, CEO at i6 Group.
This will complement the recent i6 deployment of real-time fuel inventory management at Boston Logan Airport (BOS), where airlines now have greater visibility, control, and security over their fuel stock and movements. The addition of eHandshake empowers airlines to better understand and control fuel usage and offers yet another step towards smarter and greener airport operations.
