Airlines shed weight as fuel costs soar

[Tyreboy]

Airlines shed weight as fuel costs soar

abstract from CNA

 

TOKYO : Next time you take to the skies you may find there are fewer pages in your in-flight magazine, your fork is slimmer and your plate feels different. Blame it on soaring oil prices.

 

The seat you are sitting on may be lighter. Perhaps there's less water on board for the bathroom faucets and toilets. The drinks trolley coming your way probably weighs less too.

 

It's all part of efforts by airlines to shed weight and conserve fuel, running in tandem with more radical steps such as cutting routes and capacity.

 

"Individually they may sound quite trivial but they all add up," said Andrew Herdman, director general of the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines.

 

"Obviously, the more expensive the fuel, the more the savings translate into. Given that oil prices are at a record high and have quadrupled over the past few years, there's even more effort" to reduce weight, he told AFP.

 

Japan Airlines (JAL), Asia's largest carrier, is among carriers that are putting fewer pages into their in-flight magazines.

 

It has also slimmed the handles of its forks and spoons, reducing their weight by two grammes (0.07 ounces) each, said JAL spokesman Hisanori Iizuka.

 

The weight of a freight container has been cut by 26 kilogrammes, reducing the burden of a flight by one tonne.

 

Even the porcelain in business class on international flights is 20 percent lighter since the manufacturer put tiny bubbles inside.

 

"It's important to make every little effort, which matters when you carry hundreds of passengers on a flight and operate 365 days" a year, said Iizuka.

 

"The heavier the plane is, the lower its fuel efficiency. This is part of our efforts to slim down everything possible."

 

It's not the only airline looking to shed weight. Australia's Qantas is also considering similar steps to conserve fuel.

 

"We don't want to compromise our product or service," but the carrier is looking at lightweight meal carts, alternative packaging and examining "what we carry to remove waste, that type of thing," a spokeswoman said.

 

Singapore Airlines has introduced lightweight drink trolleys and serviceware on board new aircraft such as the A380 superjumbo and the Boeing B777-300ER.

 

"These carts and serviceware will be on all new aircraft which join the fleet in the future. As for magazines, based on crew feedback, titles not in demand were removed," a spokeswoman for the carrier said.

 

All Nippon Airways has also been reducing the weight of seats, tableware, trolleys used by cabin attendants and other items.

 

"By introducing lighter porcelain for first and business classes, we have reduced the weight by an average 66 kilogrammes on one flight," a spokeswoman said. "We're always looking for items whose weight can be reduced."

 

Even paint adds weight to an aircraft, so some carriers have been experimenting with only polishing the exterior, particularly for cargo planes.

 

Airlines worldwide face total losses of at least 2.3 billion dollars this year due to soaring fuel costs, according to the International Air Transport Association, which says the industry is in "crisis."

 

At least two dozen carriers around the world have gone bust this year.

 

Some US carriers have started to charge the first checked-in bag.

 

And there is even speculation that the passengers might eventually have to step on the scales before boarding a plane, with heavier travellers paying more to fly, although experts say that day is not here just yet.

 

"I don't think we've quite got to the point of passengers being weighed," said Herdman.

 

 

the amt of weight saving things used in airplane cant even match the overweight passengers that is dragging down the plane down......next time airline industry should design paper aeroplane or those styrofoam made...hahaha...air stewardess must be thin thin like a bone...no more S shape...best air stewardess dun need to wear any clothes just lingerie will do

[Rickster]

Good move. I'd rather they shed weight than to increase air fare like no tomorrow.

[Qpik]

who knows next time skinny pple might get more disc if they fly

 

good motivator to pple to slim down

[Gearoil]

Saving weight by such measures don't really work...might as well only have 1 pilot flying the plane ....1 stwardress...self help by passenegers ....no seats...passengers sit on mats on the plane floor .....no enter-tain-ment like flat screen panel or whatever...

 

Come to think of it...to make it simplier....might as well convert the plane to fly by nuclear energy!!

[Blue2]

then fatty ppl got more surcharge sibo

[Qpik]

what a great idea....u write in to SIA who knows they might implement

[Shull]

overweight surcharge?

[Furrynadz]

how abt :

no more ang mo pilots, cos bigger size

no more pui bong stewardesses

above A cup cannot be stewardess

[Blue2]

hmm...like tat if they adopt me idea dunno can take some commission from the savings

[Blue2]

dun tell me u fall under that cat

[Qpik]

sure...they let u fly for free as cargo cos papaya no need to sit on chair only in crate

[Blue2]

dun 1 la...me no fly often...

prefer $$$

[Qpik]

then u r missing out alot....

 

u 1 2 try "One to Go" airline....

 

very famous for

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

sending pple to recycle their passput

[Blue2]

like tat can fly as n when u like liao

[Iliketodrive]

ask them install bride seat for every pessanger !!!

[Starry]

who knows next time skinny pple might get more disc if they fly

 

good motivator to pple to slim down

 

Not a bad idea. Those who have higher BMI than their healthy range will have to pay surcharge

[Qpik]

like that i don't mind flying.

 

the monies given sponsor me sleepg pills to cope with my phobia. just hv to time it correctly so that i will knock out before take-off and landing.

[Nullifi3d]

Its a good move but why have they waited for times like this to consider shedding weight?

 

Why didn't they think of it from earlier on (because we all knew that one day oil prices would escalate to such levels).

 

And why just stop at shedding weight? there are tons of ways to cut operating costs in airline companies e.g.

 

Revamp the menu; if there is not really a need or demand for caviar then do away with it.

 

I could brainstorm a million over suggestions to cut costs for these airlines but THEY'RE not paying me to do it so why bother.

 

i'm sure the geniuses in their top offices are brainstorming as we speak. Or maybe their counting their large piles of 100 dollar bills while surfing youtube.