For the first time in Russia, Gazpromneft-Aero, the operator of Gazprom Neft’s aviation fuel business, and S7 Airlines combined to enable the exchange of electronic accounting documents using the universal industry XML* invoice based on the International Air Transport Association (IATA) standards.

In accordance with RF law, the electronic document package is signed using an electronic signature and is transmitted through the Kontur Diadok system. The package includes the Russian universal transfer document (UTD) and the IATA invoice used globally. The airline is thus able to receive information in a single format both from Russian and from foreign fuel suppliers. A digital invoice based on IATA standards allows the airlines to receive automatically the information related to expenses for each flight, aircraft, airport, fuel or service.

The Gazpromneft-Aero specialists are members of the IATA Fuel Data Standards Group (IATA FDSG**). The new electronic formats enables a significant reduction in labor costs, improves accuracy and speeds up delivery because data related to aviation fuel operations are exchanged online.

The introduction of state-of-the-art information systems and unified data-exchange formats in the aviation industry promotes competitiveness, reduces costs, enables the fast response of the airlines and suppliers to the aviation fuel supply market, facilitates offering new services to clients and opportunities for arranging rapid fueling at hundreds of airports.

“The future of the aviation fuel industry lies in state-of-the-art digital information-exchange formats, which will replace the hard copy media. We are proud that for the first time in Russia, we are developing and introducing these technologies. Gazpromneft-Aero is ready to provide the Russian aviation industry participants with a step-by-step algorithm for switching to international data-transmission standards to improve efficiency and the speed of aviation fuel operations,” noted Vladimir Egorov, General Director of Gazpromneft-Aero.

Vladimir Obyedkov, General Director of S7 Airlines: “S7 Airlines is constantly introducing state-of-the-art technologies, both for the passengers, by offering new services for travelling even more comfortably, and for business processes. The new IATA-proposed standard allows the airlines to receive all data from the suppliers in a unified, convenient format and save time, thus making S7 Airlines a more efficient operator. S7 Airlines is the first in Russia to switch to the new format of exchange of electronic accounting documents with Russian suppliers, but we are already seeing its advantages in the airline’s operation.”

Lasantha Subasinghe, IATA’s Director Aviation Fuel, said: “This first key step taken by Gazpromneft-Aero and S7 Airlines paves the way for other airlines and aviation fuel market participants to benefit from new technologies and digitalization to be more efficient, competitive and provide better and new services to their customers. We congratulate both companies for this very important breakthrough that could help all players in the aviation industry in the Russian Federation. ”