Emirates National Oil Company recognized for aircraft refueling idea

The Emirates National Oil Company (ENOC), based in Dubai, was awarded for its custom-made aircraft refueling idea at the recent 2016 Ideas Arab Competition.

ENOC, a winner in the health and safety category, was recognized for designing a new hydrant servicer for the Boeing 737 aircraft that makes refueling the plane safer and faster.

"Today’s challenging economy calls for innovation to reduce costs and enhance performance," ENOC Marketing Managing Director Burhan Al Hashemi said. "The new hydrant servicer has reduced fueling time by nearly 7 minutes per aircraft, which translates into the cost of an operator per year. We are committed to investing in such technologies and innovations to serve our company and advance the sector as a whole."

The standard design of a hydrant servicer is meant to fit under a large aircraft, but the Boeing 737 is small and requires a lower height in order to have fuel properly directed into the plane. ENOC determined that a hydrant servicer for the smaller-size aircraft cannot exceed a height of 85 inches.

"Innovation is one of the core pillars of ENOC Group’s growth and sustenance," ENOC Group CEO Saif Al Falasi said. "The creation of a specialized hydrant servicer to serve the Boeing 737 aircraft is testament to this innovative approach and we are thankful to Ideas Arabia for recognizing and rewarding this extraordinary idea."

The new hydrant servicer has been used in aircraft for numerous airlines including Fly Dubai and Oman Air.