Airlines’ digital push also helps to shed weight, cut fuel costs

The coronavirus pandemic has accelerated airlines’ digital uptake as carriers look for ways to reduce human touchpoints. But that push has had another impact, too. It’s reduced cabin weight, and that can mean big cost savings. Singapore Airlines’ low-cost carrier Scoot on Thursday said it’s introducing an inflight system called ScootHub that customers can access via their mobile devices to order food, drinks, duty-free and other services. It estimates the move will not only reduce paper consumption by more than 156 metric tons but cut annual carbon dioxide emissions by over 41 tons and save more than 13 tons of fuel. Covid-19 has also prompted BA to remove printed copies of its signature inflight magazine, in circulation for more than half a century. Now, the magazine is available as a free download on passengers’ personal devices, helping BA trim a significant amount of weight, according to Inmarsat Aviation. “The pandemic has given airlines an impetus to leverage digital solutions more extensively as a means to reduce common passenger touchpoints, with weight reduction being an additional benefit,” Inmarsat Aviation Vice President Asia Pacific, David Coiley, said. And anything that reduces costs in aviation right now is a good thing. Fuel is one of the largest and most variable expenses for airlines, accounting for almost a quarter of operating costs, and cabin weight is known to have a notable impact on reducing those charges. In 2018, United saved $290,000 in annual fuel costs merely by using a lighter weight of paper for its inflight magazine. In another well-documented example, American Airlines Group removed just one olive from each salad plate to save $40,000. Story has more.<br/>