Airline fuel efficiency improves but lags industry goals - study

Airline fuel efficiency on transatlantic flights has improved by 1% a year since 2014 as carriers buy modern planes, but the industry still lags its own climate goals, a study released Wednesday said. The industry’s average fuel efficiency improved to 34 passenger kilometers per litre of fuel from 33 between 2014 and 2017 as carriers opted for modern aircraft with lower fuel burn and operated fuller planes, the study from the US-based International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) said. Airlines have been switching to more fuel-efficient aircraft in an attempt to mitigate the impact of high oil prices on their margins. The aviation industry has also set a non-binding goal of capping emissions from international flights at 2020 levels, despite rising passenger traffic as global travel demand climbs. <br/>