Airlines Slow Down Planes to Save on Fuel cost
Wednesday, May 14th, 2008With the cost of oil rising, the airline industry has taken steps to try to cutback on their fuel consumption in order to save money, and the newest step in this strategy is to slow down the speed at which planes travel. Just like as it is with cars, the faster a plane goes, the more gas it burns. The idea is that by slowing down planes and having them fly at more consistent speeds, the airline travel and airline ticket industries will all benefit from lower costs, which could have a direct impact on the average traveler’s ability to find cheap airline tickets.
Most airlines have found that by shaving even just a few minutes off flights, they can save huge sums of money on fuel consumption. Southwest airlines recently started flying slower, and estimates that by shaving only 1 to 3 minutes off the average flight time, they will save in excess of $42 million this year, a staggering number. Other airlines, such as Northwest and JetBlue have also employed this method of trying to save money on fuel consumption so that they don’t have to raise prices in other areas.
With the recent merger between Delta and Northwest and rising fuel costs combining to lead to higher airfare for travelers nationwide, the industry is trying to think of ways to remain competitive without raising air ticket prices. The general public is already having a lower opinion of air travel due to high incidents of delays, lost luggage and high airfare ticket prices over the past year, evidenced by a survey showing that confidence in the airline industry has fallen while frustration at air travel has grown. By keeping costs low, cheap airline tickets will be more readily available.
Most travelers so far have indicated that they are fine with losing only a few minutes out of their day if it means savings gas and maintaining lower air ticket prices. The airline industry has been struggling with higher fuel prices lately, as it has been rising steadily for some time. In the past year, the price of fuel imported to New York harbor for their airports has risen 71%.
To the average traveler, this should be beneficial as well. The long term ability of the airlines to maintain lower airfares and cheap airline tickets should be more important than a 5 minute delay to most travelers.
