Airline efficiency could cut emissions by 50–75 per cent

Operating only the most fuel-efficient aircraft, removing premium-class seating to carry more passengers, and raising passenger loads could reduce global aviation emissions by 50-75 per cent.

 

This is the conclusion of a study co-led by Oxford University, which found that global aviation emissions could drop about 11 per cent immediately by deploying existing efficient aircraft more strategically on current routes. Published in Nature Communications Earth & Environment, the researchers analysed over 27 million commercial flights in 2023, covering 26,000 city pairs and nearly 3.5 billion passengers.