Airlines to avoid excess weight for fuel efficiency

Avoid carrying old newspapers, excessive crew baggage, extra pillows, blankets and airline magazines in flights to ensure better fuel management, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has told airlines.

Describing climate change as the “greatest environmental threat” of the 21st century, the DGCA has come out with several proposals to tackle global warming and ensure air quality.

 The DGCA wants airport operators and airlines to take measures to develop an annual emission management programme.  A draft Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) has been issued by the DGCA, which has asked stakeholders to provide their inputs by April 3.

According to the draft CAR, airlines should develop fuel management procedures without compromising on the safety of aircraft and its occupants.

“To avoid additional fuel burn on account of unwanted extra weight, proper weight management shall be ensured on aircraft. Carriage of items like old magazines and newspapers, excess duty free material, extra water in the tanks that are not required for the flight, pillows and blankets, excessive crew baggage, extra airline magazines, empty baggage and cargo containers etc shall be avoided on board aircraft,” the draft said.

Air quality

The air quality at and in the vicinity of airports, often referred as Local Air Quality, is an important environmental aspect that airport operators must take into account in order to achieve sustainable green aviation, the draft said.

According to the DGCA, airport operators and airlines should take voluntary measures to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in their respective organisations, as well as project the effects, timeline and expected results.

Airport operators should also manage their emissions by considering the adoption of appropriate best practices, including use of alternative fuel, encouragement of mass transit and avoidance of engine idling.

The latest government report had said that carbon emissions due to airline operations from Indian destinations increased by 1.57 per cent in 2013. Planes emitted 1.56 crore tonnes of carbon dioxide compared to 1.53 crore tonnes in 2012. However, this was just 2.21 per cent of global emissions due to airline operations, which had touched 70.5 crore tonnes.