Re:Misrepresentation of Fuel Surcharges in Airline Price Adv...
by dredmorbius on Sunday February 02, 2014 @07:05PM
(#7168183)
Fuel is the principle cost of aviation, and fuel prices have climbed markedly.
In looking at the "Boeing biofuel breakthrough" a couple of days ago, I happened to look at what actual fuel consumption for the US airline industry has been. Turns out that, although total passenger miles is up since 2000, the fuel consumption for the commercial aviation industry (which may include cargo flights) peaked in 2000. The actual fuel usage for 2012 -52.3% of the 2000 FAA estimated consumption -- they'd predicted 3-4% annual growth over the next 10 years, it turned out to be a 15.9% reduction over the period.
Increased load factors (the seats filled on a flight -- increased from 70-83%) and reduced seat pitch (more seats, and passengers, per plane) seem to have staved off an actual reduction in the passenger-miles, but I strongly suspect that by plane-miles flown, we're down net.
In looking at the "Boeing biofuel breakthrough" a couple of days ago, I happened to look at what actual fuel consumption for the US airline industry has been. Turns out that, although total passenger miles is up since 2000, the fuel consumption for the commercial aviation industry (which may include cargo flights) peaked in 2000. The actual fuel usage for 2012 -52.3% of the 2000 FAA estimated consumption -- they'd predicted 3-4% annual growth over the next 10 years, it turned out to be a 15.9% reduction over the period.
Increased load factors (the seats filled on a flight -- increased from 70-83%) and reduced seat pitch (more seats, and passengers, per plane) seem to have staved off an actual reduction in the passenger-miles, but I strongly suspect that by plane-miles flown, we're down net.
http://www.reddit.com/r/dredmorbius/comments/1wo2hl/boeings_...