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Jumbo jets to lose weight as fuel prices skyrocket
Published on Sat, Jul 19, 2008 at 23:19, Updated on Mon, Jul 21, 2008 at 21:02 in World » World360 section
Tags: Fuel Price, Airplane , Hong Kong
LOAD SHEDDING: Airlines are trying to get magazines, seats, cutlery to lose weight to cut so that less fuel is spent.
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Hong Kong: With the price of jet fuel nearly doubling over the past 12 months, it now costs more than US $3,00,000 to fill up Boeing 747-400s.
So airlines around the world are doing everything they can to make their planes fly further using less fuel. And that means making them lighter.
"Even a small percentage, half a per cent of aircraft weight, can amount to millions and millions of US dollars over a year. So doing away with every gram that isn’t required helps," says CEO, Cathay Pacific Airways, Tony Tyler.
And weight-shedding mission starts with the plane itself. Cathay Pacific has already placed an order for 30 Boeing 777-300, whose new design and construction material makes it 22 per cent more fuel efficient than the 747s.
Apart from that, engines are now cleaned more often than ever before, for any build up of grime on the blades means extra fuel to keep them turning.
But the big changes are being made inside the airplanes.
KLM and Air France are looking at increasing the number of seats in economy on their 777s. If implemented, expect 10 seats instead of nine in a row. The seats themselves, especially in coach, are being slimmed down with new lightweight materials.
Japan Airlines is making its porcelain crockery up to 50 per cent lighter. Cutlery too is being made to reduce weight. Some have redesigned their spoons and forks for long-haul international flights so that they are approximately two grams lighter.
Even the earplugs haven't escaped attention. Airlines are carrying fewer of these tiny pieces of foam just to save a few grams on a 340-tonne fully loaded 777.
Many airlines are also cutting back on tap water for drinking or washing. On-board magazine is probably thinner because they are using different paper. And the selection of magazines is probably a little smaller too.
But there's still a balancing act to make sure that high-spending passengers in business and first class don’t feel short-changed.
The pilots are doing their bit too. Fuel loads are much more finely turned to fit the length of the journey and flight paths and altitudes are under constant review. Cathay has told its pilots to fly slightly slower.
But in the end, if the oil price continues to rise, no amount of weight-saving devices will be enough for some airlines.
"We’re in for a sustained period of high fuel costs and by high we're talking about three-digit fuel costs over $100. That is going to mean very painful and very difficult restructuring in the airline industry," Tyler says.
This year, more than 24 airlines have already gone down.
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