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IF THERE's one thing that kills airlines, it's weight. It's the most important thing manufacturers and operators of commercial aircraft take into account.
Simply put, the heavier the aircraft, the more fuel gets burnt. You need to get that huge plane in the air and flying through the sky at Mach .85 (that's 85% of the speed of sound). The more you need to lift and move, the more fuel you burn.
And every little bit counts. One operator estimates that on long haul flights, every 1 kg of extra weight costs an airline $8 000 in fuel per year per aircraft. So weight is critical, given that fuel represents up to 30% of airliners' costs.
This speaks to all sorts of issues. Overweight air crew and pilots could theoretically cost an airline $8 000/kg per year in cost. Do huge oversized inflight magazines that weigh 1 kg or more truly add value - or are they destroying profit?
Extra pillows, cold drinks or beer - necessary or cost destructive?
Airlines and manufacturers of aircraft like Airbus and Boeing have to consider a balance between efficiency and getting as many passengers as possible into an aircraft. And every inch and kilogram counts. It's an ongoing balancing act - how to keep passengers happy, yet remain profitable.
Another thing that is a killer for airlines is flying too fast. The cost of operation is much higher when planes fly faster. It's what killed the Concorde. Remember that tremendous machine? It could cross the Atlantic between America and Europe in 2.5 hours.
Today's airlines do it in six hours. The plane was also limited, given that it couldn't fly at the sound barrier over land - it shatters windows and grandma's teaset - so it could only fly over the Atlantic at the speed of sound.
But it stopped flying 10 years ago because it was too expensive.
- Fin24
*Follow James-Brent Styan on Twitter at @jamesstyan. Views expressed are his own.
Simply put, the heavier the aircraft, the more fuel gets burnt. You need to get that huge plane in the air and flying through the sky at Mach .85 (that's 85% of the speed of sound). The more you need to lift and move, the more fuel you burn.
And every little bit counts. One operator estimates that on long haul flights, every 1 kg of extra weight costs an airline $8 000 in fuel per year per aircraft. So weight is critical, given that fuel represents up to 30% of airliners' costs.
This speaks to all sorts of issues. Overweight air crew and pilots could theoretically cost an airline $8 000/kg per year in cost. Do huge oversized inflight magazines that weigh 1 kg or more truly add value - or are they destroying profit?
Extra pillows, cold drinks or beer - necessary or cost destructive?
Airlines and manufacturers of aircraft like Airbus and Boeing have to consider a balance between efficiency and getting as many passengers as possible into an aircraft. And every inch and kilogram counts. It's an ongoing balancing act - how to keep passengers happy, yet remain profitable.
Another thing that is a killer for airlines is flying too fast. The cost of operation is much higher when planes fly faster. It's what killed the Concorde. Remember that tremendous machine? It could cross the Atlantic between America and Europe in 2.5 hours.
Today's airlines do it in six hours. The plane was also limited, given that it couldn't fly at the sound barrier over land - it shatters windows and grandma's teaset - so it could only fly over the Atlantic at the speed of sound.
But it stopped flying 10 years ago because it was too expensive.
- Fin24
*Follow James-Brent Styan on Twitter at @jamesstyan. Views expressed are his own.
