Why be energy efficient?
The air transport industry has been focused on fuel efficiency improvements for decades, as fuel use can constitute between 20–35% of operating costs.1 Fuel efficiency improvements also provide greater range capability. Passenger jet aircraft today are around 70% more fuel efficient (defined as energy use per passenger km) than aircraft were 50 years ago. This has mainly been achieved through improved engine efficiency, aerodynamic performance, and light-weighting.2
Even though significant progress has been made, the potential to improve fuel efficiency by as much as 50% by 2050 still exists, through further improvements in weight reduction, aerodynamics, engine efficiency, use of alternative fuels and the upgrade of fleets.3 Improving fuel efficiency also provides the lowest cost strategy to achieve greenhouse gas emission reductions.4 Therefore, the business case for investing in fuel efficiency in the air transport sector remains a key business driver.
Opportunities
The International Aviation Transport Association (IATA) Technology Roadmap Report found that between now and 2020 the key energy efficiency opportunities exist in the following areas:
Improve fleet management and flight logistics
Air traffic management is already highly efficient in Australia by global standards. However, fuel efficiency opportunities may still exist through...Retrofit aircraft to achieve weight reductions
Numerous opportunities exist to reduce weight and improve the fuel efficiency of aircraft. They include ensuring the optimal amount of...Improve electrical energy efficiency
Although it may not show up as a major component of total costs, electrical efficiency in aircraft makes a difference....Improve aircraft aerodynamics
The two main sources of drag for aircraft are skin-friction drag and lift-induced drag. These constitute approximately one-half and one-third...Invest in new engines and aircraft
Investing in new, more efficient engines is a wise strategy to improve fuel efficiency. There are aircraft engines on the...
Case studies
- Virgin Airlines: Aviation in a Low Carbon World 2009 (Opens in a new window)
- Virgin Airlines
- PDF 461 KB
Virgin Airlines is implementing a broad range of fuel efficiency initiatives, as well as investing in an alternative fuels strategy and supporting technological step changes.
- Qantas: 2020 vision for the future 2011
- Qantas
- Website
Qantas has set ambitious fuel conservation goals to meet their 2020 target. The company is also supporting industry efforts to develop sustainable aviation fuel.
Key resources
- IATA Technology Roadmap Report 2009 (Opens in a new window)
- International Air Transport Assocation
- PDF 4.7 MB
The purpose of this IATA report was to identify and rank a range of technologies, applicable over different time periods that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions from aviation. These technologies were reviewed for both applicability and their development timeframe.
- Overview on Drag Reduction Technologies for Civil Transport Aircraft 2004 (Opens in a new window)
- ONERA
- PDF 1.2 MB
This report by the French Aerospace Laboratory gives an overview of the results obtained during testing of different methods of drag reduction and looks to evaluate the potential gains offered by the different technologies.
- Flight Path to Sustainable Aviation 2011 (Opens in a new window)
- CSIRO
- PDF 2.4 MB
This report developed by the CSIRO aimed to determine the feasibility of the Australian and New Zealand aviation sector taking up bio-derived aviation fuels, the benefits of doing so and the challenges that need to be overcome to make it a reality.
- Aviation and Climate Change 2010 (Opens in a new window)
- International Civil Aviation Organization
- PDF 6.6 MB
This ICAO Report is dedicated entirely to the topic of climate change and builds on the first edition published in 2007. It brings together a vast array of ideas, solutions and new challenges to help feed the global discussion on how best to deal with the impact of aviation on the environment.
- Significant Opportunities Register – Transport 2012 (Opens in a new window)
- Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism
- PDF 516 KB
- Excel 266 KB
- Website
This register records significant opportunities which have been identified by transport companies registered with the Energy Efficiency Opportunities (EEO) program. Companies involved in the program must publicly report every year on the number of cost effective opportunities they have identified with a four year payback or less. This reporting includes providing descriptions of three significant opportunities which have been identified as part of their energy efficiency assessments.
Footnotes ~ Show 4 footnotes