Information Design One AG, the Frankfurt-based aviation technology company and developer of aFuel, has reached an outstanding landmark milestone: in the first half of 2026, aFuel processed 500,000 individual aircraft fueling transactions – fully digitally, in real time and without a single sheet of paper. The figure represents a new record for the platform and confirms aFuel’s position as the world’s leading digital fueling network for commercial aviation providing outstanding service to airlines.
What 500,000 Flights Actually Means for Airlines
“500,000 fueling transactions in six months means more than a number on a dashboard,” emphasizes Julia Büchner, CEO of Information Design One AG. “It means 500,000 times that an airline received a confirmed, timestamped digital fueling 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.”
In practice, this means fuel delays cut significantly thanks to faster, digital communication. Tankering decisions made based on digital records without manual inputs. Invoices matched automatically. And it means 500,000 data points feeding 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 trusting the network to keep their aircraft moving. At 500,000 transactions per half-year, the network effect is real and growing.
“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.”
Julia Büchner, CEO of Information Design One AG.
A Network Built on Partnership
The scale of the H1 2026 result is inseparable from the breadth and depth of aFuel’s partner ecosystem. aFuel connects airlines with into-plane agents and IT dispatch system providers across a growing global network – a model that makes every new partner connection immediately valuable for all existing participants.
IT dispatch system providers integrated into aFuel serve as the critical technical bridge, enabling the real-time data exchange that makes digital fueling possible at each station. Into-plane agents bring the operational credibility and local expertise that airlines need to trust the fueling process at new locations. And airlines from global network carriers to regional LCCs drive demand that attracts new agents and system providers into the network.
This flywheel dynamic is what drives growth. 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. 500,000 is the direct result of this compounding network effect.
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 target is clear: more airports, more partners, more transactions and, for every airline connected to aFuel, fewer delays, less manual work and sharper operational intelligence.
About aFuel
aFuel is the world’s leading digital aviation fueling network, developed and operated by Information Design One AG. The platform connects airlines, into-plane agents, and IT dispatch system providers in real time, automating the full fueling process from order to receipt confirmation. aFuel eliminates manual workflows, reduces fuel-related delays, and delivers full operational transparency across a global network of airports.