aFuel, digital aircraft refueling via a unified platform, is now available at Melbourne International Airport in Australia.
Airlines such as Cathay Pacific and Finnair, both longterm users of aFuel, can now also refuel digitally at Australia’s second-largest airport.
Skytanking uses the aFuel Apron App for digital communication with Cathay Pacific and Finnair.
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Information Design One extends its digital aviation fuelling platform to Melbourne Airport through Skytanking, while a new integration with Czech Airline Handling strengthens its presence at Prague Airport.
Information Design One (IDO), a Frankfurt-based aviation technology provider, has expanded the international reach of its aFuel digital aircraft refuelling platform, bringing the solution to Melbourne Airport in Australia and extending its deployment to a second fuelling service provider at Prague Airport in the Czech Republic.
The Melbourne launch, announced on 9 November 2026, has been implemented in collaboration with Skytanking, the international aviation services provider specialising in into-plane fuelling and airport fuel infrastructure management.
The expansion will enable airlines including Cathay Pacific and Finnair, both established users of aFuel, to access digital aircraft refuelling services at Melbourne Airport.
Skytanking will use the aFuel Apron App to facilitate digital communication with the two airlines, supporting the exchange of operational information and streamlining coordination between airline personnel and fuelling teams.
Melbourne becomes aFuel’s second Australian airport
The addition of Melbourne marks the second Australian airport to introduce aFuel, following its earlier deployment at Perth Airport.
The expansion reflects IDO’s strategy to strengthen its presence in the Australian aviation market and extend digital fuelling capabilities across the country’s major airport network.
Julia Büchner, CEO of Information Design One, said Australia represented an important market for the company and welcomed the introduction of its platform at Melbourne.
She added that the company was working to expand its Australian network following the successful deployment at Perth.
The integration with Skytanking brings together digital fuelling technology and established into-plane fuelling operations, allowing airlines and service providers to coordinate refuelling activities through a unified digital platform.
Prague Airport adds another digital fuelling operator
Alongside the Melbourne development, IDO has expanded aFuel’s presence at Prague Airport, where Czech Airline Handling has become the second fuelling service provider at the airport to adopt the platform, following Levorato.
The latest implementation involves integrating Fuelomat, an into-plane fuelling dispatch application developed by Novum Global and currently used by Czech Airline Handling, with the aFuel platform.
The integration is designed to enable the two applications to exchange operational information while allowing the service provider to retain its existing IT infrastructure.
According to Büchner, the ability to integrate third-party applications without compromising the platform’s functionality is one of aFuel’s principal advantages.
She said the company had completed similar integrations previously and highlighted the flexibility of its architecture in accommodating the IT requirements of different stakeholders across the aviation fuelling ecosystem.
Digitalisation of aircraft refuelling operations
Aircraft refuelling involves coordination between airlines, ground handlers, fuel suppliers and into-plane service providers. Traditionally, parts of this process have relied on manual communication and documentation, creating opportunities for delays, administrative inefficiencies and discrepancies in operational information.
Digital platforms such as aFuel seek to streamline these interactions by providing a common interface for sharing refuelling-related information.
Through digital communication and integration with existing operational systems, the platform aims to improve coordination, reduce paperwork and support more efficient aircraft turnaround processes.
For airlines operating extensive international networks, the benefits can extend beyond individual airport operations. Standardised digital processes can help improve visibility, facilitate administrative workflows and support more consistent fuelling procedures across multiple locations.
IDO says aFuel processes more than one million digital refuelling transactions annually and is available at more than 300 airports across 42 countries.
Expanding the digital aviation ecosystem
The latest developments in Melbourne and Prague underline the growing importance of digital integration in airport ground operations.
As airlines and fuelling service providers seek to improve operational efficiency, the ability to connect different software applications and stakeholders through common platforms is becoming increasingly important.
The expansion also highlights the role of independent technology providers in supporting digital transformation across the aviation supply chain.
By extending aFuel through partnerships with established fuelling operators and integrating existing dispatch applications, Information Design One is seeking to build a more connected digital environment for aircraft refuelling.
The Melbourne deployment with Skytanking and the Prague integration with Czech Airline Handling represent further steps towards standardising digital communication and improving coordination across international airport fuelling operations.
