If air transport is responsible today for 2 to 3 % of greenhouse gas emissions (20 % are commonly attributed to automotive), it is often in the crosshair because it is very visible. There isn’t a day without news about a new aircraft being tested, a terror attempt on a flight, a new order for Airbus or Boeing, etc.
Following the example of other industries, aircraft fuel consumption has been significantly reduced (in the past 40 years, average fuel consumption per passenger decreased by 70 %). Today, aircraft fuel consumption is approximately 3.5 L per passenger per 100 km. This goes to explain why Airlines buy one aircraft over another to renew their fleet but also and especially to reduce their costs. Indeed, the latest aircraft consume less than their predecessors. As well as progress on the engines, there has also been progress on profiles, including the arrival of the wing tip ailerons, “winglets”. And in the case of the Airbus A380, savings are also achieved by the replacement of two flights by one thanks to the increased passenger capacity.
Fuel costs represent up to 30 % of a company’s spending. It’s easy to understand the efforts we have to make to reduce these costs for both a company already in operation and a start-up.
We will describe along these “Carnets De Vol” different economy measures already put in place or still on the drawing board. All the measures do not depend solely on the airlines. The Continuous Descent Approach is a good example of this.
The Continuous Descent Approach (flight efficiency)
CDA is a more ecological approach technique, also known as “green” landing.
(more…)