Chuck
02-14-2009, 01:50 PM
Still incentive to save fuel, even with the oil prices down (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/11/business/11air.html?_r=1&ref=business)
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/Southwest_taillet.gifMicheline Maynard - New York Times - June 11, 2008
Southwest should know (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southwest_airlines#Fuel_cost_containment_measures) - they started during the energy crisis of the 1970's --Ed.
The nation’s airlines are scrutinizing every step of their operations, from the tarmac to the sky, and from the nose to the tail of their planes, searching for new ways to cut their soaring fuel bills.
They are power-washing jet engines more often to get rid of grime, carrying less water for the bathroom faucets and toilets, and replacing passenger seats with lighter models.
The financial pain of higher fuel prices is particularly acute for airlines because it is their single biggest expense. Eight years ago, 15 percent of the price of an airplane ticket went to pay for jet fuel; now, it is 40 percent, according to the Air Transport Association, the industry’s trade group.
If prices stay where they are, the nation’s airlines will collectively spend $61.2 billion this year on jet fuel — more than five times what they spent in 2002, when travel fell sharply after the September 2001 terrorist attacks… http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/11/business/11air.html?_r=1&ref=business
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/Southwest_taillet.gifMicheline Maynard - New York Times - June 11, 2008
Southwest should know (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southwest_airlines#Fuel_cost_containment_measures) - they started during the energy crisis of the 1970's --Ed.
The nation’s airlines are scrutinizing every step of their operations, from the tarmac to the sky, and from the nose to the tail of their planes, searching for new ways to cut their soaring fuel bills.
They are power-washing jet engines more often to get rid of grime, carrying less water for the bathroom faucets and toilets, and replacing passenger seats with lighter models.
The financial pain of higher fuel prices is particularly acute for airlines because it is their single biggest expense. Eight years ago, 15 percent of the price of an airplane ticket went to pay for jet fuel; now, it is 40 percent, according to the Air Transport Association, the industry’s trade group.
If prices stay where they are, the nation’s airlines will collectively spend $61.2 billion this year on jet fuel — more than five times what they spent in 2002, when travel fell sharply after the September 2001 terrorist attacks… http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/11/business/11air.html?_r=1&ref=business