EasyJet achieves record carbon milestone
Since 2000, when the airline began reporting on carbon emissions, easyJet’s emissions have reduced from 116.2 grams, a reduction of over 31% and are now 79.98 grams per passenger kilometre, down from 81.05 grams the previous year.
easyJet has set a new target is to reduce these emissions further to around 77grams by 2020, which would be a reduction of over 33% in twenty years.
The airline’s engineering and flight operations teams constantly look for every small way to increase the efficiency of the fleet and ensure the aircraft are as light-weight as possible to reduce fuel burn and carbon emissions.
For example easyJet's pilots save fuel, whilst still operating the aircraft safely and effectively, by using only one of the two engines whilst taxiing, which averages 20 minutes for each flight – the equivalent of around four million miles a year. They also use airport electrical power as much as possible whilst on the ground, rather than the auxiliary power unit which burns fuel. easyJet’s enhanced maintenance programme includes the washing of aircraft engine's compressors regularly to ensure they operate as efficiently as possible.
Efficiencies have been gained through the clever reduction of weight from every area of the aircraft. easyJet’s Recaro seats offer increased passenger space but are also 26% lighter than previous seats. All pilots use Panasonic Toughpads which replaced laptops and printed navigational charts. This removed 27 kilograms of paper on each aircraft which has delivered a reduction of over 2,000 tonnes of carbon emissions for easyJet each year.
easyJet’s fleet is made up 266 A320 family aircraft equipped with CFM56 engines. New aircraft delivered since 2013 feature ‘Sharklet’ wing tips which improve the aerodynamics and deliver a 4% saving in CO2 emissions.
This June easyJet will take delivery of its first new generation Airbus A320neo aircraft, with 130 to join the fleet to 2022. These aircraft, equipped with CFM LEAP-1A engines will be 15% more fuel efficient than existing aircraft types as well as reducing noise by 50%.
Captain Chris Foster, who leads easyJet’s carbon efficiency programme, said:
“At easyJet we want to make sure that we take our passengers where they want to go with the lowest carbon emissions. Through our efficiency programme we continually look for ways to reduce fuel usage and emissions.
“We are very pleased to have delivered emissions below 80 grams for each passenger kilometre for the first time and look forward to reaching our target of 77 grams by 2020.
“By using modern aircraft and flying them efficiently we will have successfully reduced the carbon impact of our flights by a third in twenty years, delivering a step change in the environmental impact of our flights.”
easyJet is also looking at future technology which could further reduce carbon emissions or fundamentally change the way we fly.
The airline is developing a hybrid plane concept which would use a hydrogen fuel cell stowed in the aircraft's hold. This innovative zero-emissions system allows energy to be captured as the aircraft brakes on landing and is used to charge the system’s lightweight batteries when the aircraft is on the ground (much like the Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) found in Formula 1 cars). The energy can then be used by the aircraft – for example when taxiing - without needing to use their jet engines.
easyJet is also providing an airline operators perspective to Wright Electric which is developing an commercial passenger plane that runs on electric batteries.
