Emirates leads industry in fuel efficiency

Emirates airline continues to lead airline industry in terms of fuel efficiency due to its young and technologically-advanced fleet, according to a report released by the airline on Tuesday. The Emirates Group released its second annual environment report on World Environment Day expanding the scope from last year to include more data on Emirates locations outside Dubai as well as additional business areas of the Group. “As the Emirates Group grows across its various divisions, we fully recognise our environmental responsibility in the locations in which we operate and via the way we fly our aircraft. This second Environment Report allows us to benchmark our performance against last year and with others in the industry, with the aim of maximising eco-efficiency to minimise our environmental footprint,” said Andrew Parker, senior vice-president, Public, Industry, International and Environmental Affairs. A key factor in the Group’s environmental strategy, supported by the Boeing 777 order for an additional 50 aircraft in November 2011, is the airline’s eco-efficient fleet, which is at the cutting edge of fuel efficiency and environmental performance. With an average fleet age of only 6.4 years versus the global IATA average of 11.3 years, Emirates fuel efficiency results are 22.5 per cent better than the IATA average and carbon emissions are 18.1 per cent better than the IATA average. Emirates recognises that how an aircraft is flown can impact the environment. The airline has therefore partnered with various air navigation authorities around the world to test the most eco-efficient flight routings. One recent example featured in the report was Emirates participation in the INSPIRE Programme (Indian Ocean Strategic Partnership to Reduce Emissions).