Matt Molnar
2008-06-18, 01:03 AM
We've all heard about the various methods airlines have begun using to reduce the fuel cost of their fleets, ranging from flying at slower speeds to taxiing with a single engine. The carriers have now urgently begun adopting some lesser publicized methods to reduce the weight of their aircraft...even a few pounds saved multiplied across a fleet of hundreds of planes and thousands of flights can add up to millions of dollars in savings. Here are 10 of the most, shall we say interesting, ways the airlines are attempting to trim fat.
1. Drink before you fly: Japan Airlines has stopped serving beer to non-first class customers on domestic flights:
Savings: 210 pounds per flight
2. Bare metal jacket: It doesn't look very heavy, but the weight of a thin coat of paint adds up when it's covering the surface area of a football field. Cathay Pacific is stripping the paint off some of their 747 freighters.
Savings: 440 pounds per plane
3. Flying clean: Dirty aircraft surfaces and engines increase drag and weight, which of course increase fuel consumption. American Airlines and Southwest have begun cleaning their planes more frequently to fight the problem.
Savings: Southwest estimates they've saved $1.6 million on fuel wasted by dirt-related drag just since they began their extra cleaning program in April, while American estimates they will save $331 million.
4. One manual per cockpit: The captain and first officer on any commercial flight each carry their own set of flight manuals. If Delta gets its way, only one set of manuals would be carried, and eventually will be replaced by electronic flight bag computers.
Savings: 6 pounds per flight, 2 or 3 pounds more once electronic flight bags are approved.
5. Lighter seats: Many airliner seats, including those on JetBlue aircraft, are being replaced with newer models that weigh up to 5 pounds less.
Savings: Nearly 800 pounds on a 156 seat JetBlue Airbus, more on larger aircraft.
6. New drink carts: In their tireless effort to trim fat from their aircraft, American targeted the humble drink cart, and replaced it with a new model that weighs in 17 pounds lighter.
Savings: 1.9 million gallons of Jet-A over the course of the year
7. Less reading material: JAL is shrinking the piles of periodicals it lugs around on international flights.
Savings: 50 pounds per flight
8. Water, water everywhere...: Northwest realized that the big water tanks on its international flights were returning from long-haul jaunts only half drained by bathroom goers. Weighing over 8 pounds a gallon, unnecessary water was a big fuel waster. Northwest now carries 25% less water on these flights. Singapore Airlines has begun partially filling two water tanks rather than topping off all three.
Savings: "Every 25 pounds we remove, we save $440,000 a year," according to Tim McGraw, Northwest's director of corporate environmental and safety programs.
9. Lighter luggage containers: Cathay Pacific has ditched the old aluminum boxes they used to lug luggage in favor of new ones made of Twintex.
Savings: 50 pounds per container
10. Eat lighter: Another novel idea from our friends at JAL: Smaller silverware.
Savings: 0.07 ounces per setting.
1. Drink before you fly: Japan Airlines has stopped serving beer to non-first class customers on domestic flights:
Savings: 210 pounds per flight
2. Bare metal jacket: It doesn't look very heavy, but the weight of a thin coat of paint adds up when it's covering the surface area of a football field. Cathay Pacific is stripping the paint off some of their 747 freighters.
Savings: 440 pounds per plane
3. Flying clean: Dirty aircraft surfaces and engines increase drag and weight, which of course increase fuel consumption. American Airlines and Southwest have begun cleaning their planes more frequently to fight the problem.
Savings: Southwest estimates they've saved $1.6 million on fuel wasted by dirt-related drag just since they began their extra cleaning program in April, while American estimates they will save $331 million.
4. One manual per cockpit: The captain and first officer on any commercial flight each carry their own set of flight manuals. If Delta gets its way, only one set of manuals would be carried, and eventually will be replaced by electronic flight bag computers.
Savings: 6 pounds per flight, 2 or 3 pounds more once electronic flight bags are approved.
5. Lighter seats: Many airliner seats, including those on JetBlue aircraft, are being replaced with newer models that weigh up to 5 pounds less.
Savings: Nearly 800 pounds on a 156 seat JetBlue Airbus, more on larger aircraft.
6. New drink carts: In their tireless effort to trim fat from their aircraft, American targeted the humble drink cart, and replaced it with a new model that weighs in 17 pounds lighter.
Savings: 1.9 million gallons of Jet-A over the course of the year
7. Less reading material: JAL is shrinking the piles of periodicals it lugs around on international flights.
Savings: 50 pounds per flight
8. Water, water everywhere...: Northwest realized that the big water tanks on its international flights were returning from long-haul jaunts only half drained by bathroom goers. Weighing over 8 pounds a gallon, unnecessary water was a big fuel waster. Northwest now carries 25% less water on these flights. Singapore Airlines has begun partially filling two water tanks rather than topping off all three.
Savings: "Every 25 pounds we remove, we save $440,000 a year," according to Tim McGraw, Northwest's director of corporate environmental and safety programs.
9. Lighter luggage containers: Cathay Pacific has ditched the old aluminum boxes they used to lug luggage in favor of new ones made of Twintex.
Savings: 50 pounds per container
10. Eat lighter: Another novel idea from our friends at JAL: Smaller silverware.
Savings: 0.07 ounces per setting.