Information Design One AG, the Frankfurt-based aviation technology company and developer of aFuel, has reported a record 500,000 individual aircraft fuelling transactions processed by the platform in the first half of 2026, fully digitally, in real time and without paper records.
What 500,000 Fuelling Transactions Mean for Airlines
Julia Büchner, CEO of Information Design One AG, said, “500,000 fuelling transactions in six months means more than a number on a dashboard.” She continued, “It means 500,000 times that an airline received a confirmed, timestamped digital fuelling record instead of a manual paper docket; 500,000 times that fuel quantities, delivery times and uplift confirmations were shared instantly between airline and into-plane agent with no phone calls, no faxes, no reconciliation disputes.”
According to the company, faster digital communication significantly reduces fuel delays. Digital records support tankering decisions without manual inputs, while invoices are matched automatically. The transactions also feed the analytical layer that helps airlines and fuel operators continuously improve their operations.
Behind every transaction is a partnership: an IT dispatch system provider integrated into the aFuel platform, an into-plane agent executing the uplift on the ramp, and an airline using the network to support its operations. The network processed 500,000 transactions during the half-year.
Büchner added, “500,000 flights is a number that should give the entire aviation fueling industry pause. Not because it is large, though it is, but because of what it proves: that digitalizing aviation fueling works, at scale, across airlines, agents and systems that were never designed to talk to each other. aFuel did not reach this milestone because we built clever software. We reached it because the right partners chose to trust in the network and develop it further with us. Every new station that goes live, every new partner that connects, multiplies the value for everyone already connected to the network. 500,000 is a milestone. But it is not a destination. We are just getting started and expect to reach over 1 million fueling transactions by the end of this year.”
A Network Built on Partnership
The company attributes the H1 2026 result to aFuel’s partner ecosystem. aFuel connects airlines with into-plane agents and IT dispatch system providers across a growing global network, with each new partner connection extending the network available to existing participants.
IT dispatch system providers integrated into aFuel enable the real-time data exchange that makes digital fuelling possible at each station. Into-plane agents provide operational and local expertise at those locations. Airlines, from global network carriers to regional low-cost carriers, drive demand for additional agents and system providers to join the network.
As the network expands, most recently with the go-live of four Portuguese stations in partnership with ebits and Petrogal, the volume of transactions processed grows accordingly. The company attributes the 500,000 transactions to this expanding network.
Outlook: Long-Term Expansion Continues
Information Design One AG is continuing its expansion programme throughout H2 2026, with further station go-lives across Europe and beyond. The company is in active discussions with new airline customers, IT dispatch system providers and into-plane agents to extend the network’s reach and deepen its data capabilities.
The company is targeting more airports, partners and transactions, with the aim of reducing delays and manual work and improving operational intelligence for airlines connected to aFuel.
