Air India saves millions with fuel efficiency measures

Airline Air India said last week it has saved about 460 million rupees (£6.25m) in the six months to February by introducing new measures designed to cut fuel consumption.

The state-owned Indian carrier said the figures were independently verified by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

According to a report in the Indian Economic Times, the airline has trimmed fuel used by reducing the amount of water it carries, the weight of the food trolleys and the weight of the magazines inside the aircraft. It has reduced fuel used on the ground by employing just one engine when taxiing, by towing aircraft as much as possible, and by providing pre-flight power from ground-based sources.

The report also states that fuel-efficient flying techniques have been adopted, such as landing with reduced flap settings and flying smooth, straight descents as much as possible, and cutting the fuel surplus carried for contingencies.

The cost-cutting measures have the added benefit of cutting projections for carbon dioxide emissions by 145,000 tonnes for the year, Air India said.

The airline was also planning a new flight plan system, which it hopes will save 800 million rupees (£10.9m) annually on fuel and lower its carbon emissions.