19 AirportImprovement.com September 2026 FUELING That prompted Argus Consulting to find a better way for its clients. After identifying gaps in existing off-the- shelf asset management tools, Argus began developing a platform tailored to the needs of complex, regulated aviation infrastructure. The result was SAIM, a Software as a Service platform that connects asset information, maintenance and inspection workflows, documents, parts inventory, digital models and real-time system data signals. Development began in 2017, followed by pilot programs in 2019 at Oakland International Airport in California and McCarran International Airport (now known as Harry Reid International) in Las Vegas. (See May 2021 edition of Airport Improvement for more details.) Today, Canadian fuel consortia are using an evolved version of SAIM to help manage their fueling and glycol assets and operations. Mark Bourdeau, a fuels specialist at SAIM with 45 years of fuels industry experience (including service as an airline fueling consortium chair), recalls that paper-and-pencil systems, Excel and Access all served a purpose, but also fragmented information across facilities, airlines and operating locations. Valuable data was isolated and much of the employee expertise behind it has been lost. As Bourdeau explains it, SAIM consolidates that history into a “single pane of glass,” providing timely, meaningful data to help users make informed decisions. SAIM President Tina Lux-Boim explains that during development, U.S. consortia wanted the ability to compare the performance of various fueling facilities and have better visibility of where investments were most needed. “They wanted benchmarks,” she says. “They wanted to see what was happening and what might be at risk across their network, without having to reach out to each location or log into multiple platforms with multiple usernames and passwords.” Since 2022, SAIM has been deployed at nearly 60 airports across the U.S. and Canada. It is used by airlines, consortia, third-party operators, airports and their engineering teams. Although the digital platform originated in fuels, Lux-Boim emphasizes its capabilities can support other complex airport systems. “Whether you are managing airfield infrastructure, mechanical and electrical systems, terminals, baggage systems or fueling facilities, SAIM can help simplify how you track the assets and the many operational and compliance tasks, data and records associated with them,” she says. Canadian airlines became interested in the asset management platform after seeing its success with U.S. airlines. “We kept a very close eye,” says Femia. “In essence, we let the U.S. market do most of the troubleshooting.” The fueling and deicing locations where SAIM is being used in Canada are separate legal entities managed collectively through an executive committee, allowing selected solutions to benefit the broader network. “You leverage economies of scale, you leverage continuity—these are the benefits we bring,” Femia explains, adding that the new system has significantly improved the efficiency of tracking fueling and glycol assets. The SAIM contract was awarded in November 2025, with deployment beginning at Vancouver International Airport (YVR) in January 2026. Rollout to the remaining 12 airports was completed this summer. Top Tracks Bourdeau explains the type of information he pays closest attention to: “For me, it is the forward-looking data on regulatory items and risk analysis. Fuel is still considered one of those single points of failure, and it literally is.” He says the consequences of asset failures can be more significant these days due to higher demand on operations. And even while there is more efficiency in how assets are used, failures can still occur; therefore, operators must consider how to reduce risk, respond quickly, and recover. Femia identifies supply disruption as one of the greatest fuel-related risks in aviation. With billions of dollars of assets across the country, airlines can be forced into reaction mode during a disruption like a pump outage—either tankering additional fuel to affected airports or, in extreme scenarios, canceling flights. “Where I look to gain the most benefit out of SAIM is in the ability to, not so much predict, but be on top of asset management,” says Femia. He also relies on the system to support preventative maintenance. “My view has always been the more you stay on top of things, the fewer surprises you have,” he adds. “Inspections, work orders, corrective actions, deficiencies, compliance tasks— is the work being done like it’s supposed to be done? Are adequate replacement parts available in inventory?” Eventually, Femia hopes the new digitized system will help reduce maintenance costs by providing better visibility of asset age, condition, maintenance history and replacement needs. “Will the benefits show up two or three years down the line? I want to find out,” he says. How Does It Work? SAIM is a cloud-based digital twin platform that connects 3D models of facility infrastructure to asset data, including real-time equipment signals, automated maintenance and inspection tasks, digitized work orders, training and manuals, compliance forms, parts and inventory management, fleet tracking, documents, and related reporting and dashboards. In the field, authorized personnel can use handheld mobile devices to read Near Field Communication (NFC) tags or other asset identifiers to open the correct digital records; complete assigned tasks; capture tagged photos, videos, or voice notes for inspections; submit work orders; and synchronize updates for managers and other approved stakeholders. Lux-Boim points out that the system primarily houses maintenance and TINA LUX-BOIM MARK BOURDEAU
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