Fuel Efficiency: U.S. Airlines

With no alternative source of energy, what's the best way to curb consumption?
Beyond the numerous, diverse, successful measures that U.S. airlines have taken and continue to explore to conserve fuel, the single biggest advance in fuel conservation, and emissions reduction, will come from reform of our nation's air traffic control (ATC) system, devised using 1950s technology. For more information, see the ATA "Airspace Reform Concepts" at smartskies.org.

How is the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) helping?
FAA is pursuing initiatives to improve aviation fuel efficiency or otherwise reduce the environmental impacts of aviation. See the fact sheet entitled "Getting the Green Light for Aviation" for more information.

Have airlines' fuel conservation efforts been successful?
From 2000 to 2007, combined passenger and cargo airline fuel efficiency, as measured in revenue ton miles per gallon, improved 23.6 percent, as airlines carried 20.4 percent more passenger and cargo traffic on 2.6 percent fewer gallons of fuel.

Viewed over a longer period, U.S. passenger and cargo airlines have more than doubled RTMs per gallon since 1978, when domestic air service was deregulated.

How have airlines changed their operations to improve fuel efficiency?
Airlines have developed many different operational and planning techniques aimed at conserving fuel and optimizing fuel purchases.

On the operational front, many airlines:

• employ single-engine taxi procedures during normal operations and selective engine shutdown during ground delays
• reduce and measure more accurately onboard weight while redistributing belly cargo
• tanker extra fuel on certain flights to avoid refueling at more expensive locations
• cruise longer at higher altitudes and employ shorter, steeper approaches

In terms of planning for fuel usage, airlines may:

• optimize flight planning for minimum fuel-burn routes and altitudes
• work with FAA to change en-route fuel reserve requirements to reflect state-of-the-art navigation, communication, surveillance and wind forecast systems
• employ self-imposed ground delays to reduce airborne holding
• modernize their fleets with more fuel-efficient airplanes
• invest in winglets to reduce aircraft drag and thereby increase fuel conservation
• redesign hubs and schedules to alleviate congestion
• advocate expanded and improved airfield capacity
• use airport power rather than onboard auxiliary power units (APUs) when at the gates
• change paint schemes to minimize heat absorption (which requires additional cooling)
• alter the location in which fuel is purchased (i.e., to avoid higher-priced west coast)
• pool resources to purchase fuel in bulk through alliances with other carriers

Does ATA do anything to help airlines optimize fuel consumption?
ATA works collaboratively with member airlines via the FAA Command Center to:

• decrease re-route mileage
• increase ATC/airline coordination during severe weather
• analyze the jet stream and make recommendations for routing transcontinental flights
• cite single-flight route issues and reduce mileage for flights unable to accept airborne reroutes
• provide advance notice to airlines of future reroutes or “playbook” routes to prevent over-fueling
• alert FAA to opportunities for avoiding fuel waste during departure delays and airborne holding