Cutting Carbon Emissions – How Airlines Can Save Fuel and Help the Planet

One of the most effective and easiest-to-implement solutions is to put processes and systems in place that help reduce the amount of fuel that aircraft consume. Every gallon of fuel consumed can produce roughly 21 pounds of CO2. Considering a Boeing 747 may burn up to five gallons of fuel per mile, each mile it travels produces approximately 105 pounds of CO2. Or, more simply put, it means that a flight from New York City to Los Angeles could release approximately 128 tons of carbon into the atmosphere. While the industry works to introduce new lower-carbon fuel alternatives and more efficient engines, it’s important today for airlines to minimize the number of unnecessary miles they’re flying and thus, the amount of fuel they’re burning. Of these options, flight planning solutions may have the potential to deliver some of the largest returns on investment. Thanks to new technologies like the Flight Profile Optimization (FPO) solution that is integrated into the Collins Aerospace FlightHub Electronic Flight Bag solution, it’s possible for airlines to enable real-time route recommendations that reduce CO2 by saving fuel. Applications like FPO enable pilots and operations professionals to optimize flight paths based on the current weather, airspace constraints, and surrounding traffic. By looking for and using the data available, modern applications can become great advisory tools for pilots and dispatchers in our industry’s goal toward sustainability.