As airlines seek a flightpath to net zero, we’re diving into how technology solutions on the ground could provide fuel for emissions and cost savings.
In 2021, the Federal Aviation Administration under Transportation Secretary laid out plans to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. However, since the Aviation Climate Action Plan was published, some airlines and airports have announced much more aggressive dates, some as early as 2030.
To make headway, efforts are underway to improve production, distribution and access to sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) as well as electric vehicles and other initiatives. However, it's crucial that we continue to consider reducing emissions of fuel today and tomorrow – whatever that fuel may be.
To meet their aggressive net-zero schedule, airlines have made boarding bridges (or gates) one of the primary targets for reducing aircraft emissions. Here, we’ll explore an example of how airlines can leverage technology in this area to reduce emissions and costs.
Understanding the turn
‘Turn’ refers to the time taken to unload and reload a plane with passengers, fuel, cargo and catering, and to ready the aircraft for travel to its next scheduled destination. Gates and related equipment help with boarding and deplaning the aircraft and in making the turn. At approximately USD $100 cost per minute of block time for an aircraft, reducing the turn can quickly increase savings.
In the case of a flight arriving early, an aircraft may be directed to taxi to a spot on the apron. There, they’ll wait for another aircraft to clear the assigned gate. As they wait, the aircraft on the apron is burning and wasting fuel, creating emissions and losing the airline money.
Already, it’s clear how an efficient turn can have significant impact on both the bottom line and environmental impact.
Challenges in achieving the perfect turn
When Southwest Airlines perfected the ten-minute turn in 1972, it did so in a bid to increase revenue, keeping aircraft in the skies and off the ground. Today, the airline no longer turns planes in ten minutes since regulations and needs have changed. On average, it takes the airline around 35 minutes to turn an aircraft.
Using this turn time as an example, if we assume a worst-case scenario, 35 minutes would equal $3,500 cost. Emissions statistics for aircraft below 3,000 feet (about 914.4 m) will vary by airport but typically are cited as being 10% of the total emissions per operation.
In an ideal situation, the aircraft is at the gate, plugged in to the pre-conditioned air (PCA) and the ground power unit (GPU) to eliminate the need for the aircraft to burn unnecessary fuel and generate unwanted emissions. Unfortunately, not all gates or aircraft are created equal, meaning that not all gates will provide a working PCA or the proper GPU to ensure that all aircraft fit all gates and therefore will not burn fuel at the gate. Furthermore, some pilots will still choose to use the aircraft auxiliary power unit (APU) to avoid losing power and having to restart critical navigation systems.
Leveraging technology for a seamless turn
There are several opportunities to improve operations on the ground, some of them mechanical and outside of the carrier’s control. However, we’ve been working with airlines to help them seize some of the smaller opportunities. We call it ‘small ball’ – identifying small, sustainable changes to gain efficiency quickly and seamlessly. One of these examples is around carry-on baggage.
Carry-on baggage management adds to the turn, increasing carbon emissions. Studies suggest that more than 50% of customers prefer to use carry-on luggage rather than checked bags. However, this provides challenges for carrier staff – especially when customers don’t follow the rules.
Allowing one item in the overhead bin space and one personal item under the seat means staff must consider if there is enough room in the overhead bins. Once out of space, gate-checked baggage is introduced. So how do we monitor the space to know when to revert to gate-checked bags? For many airlines, this can cause significant delays as a customer must walk back up the aisle to the boarding door to hand over a bag when there is no space left.
Better management of this frequent issue could enhance the turn and make impactful emission and cost reductions.
Using our ‘small ball’ approach, we developed a proof of concept to count the carry-on bags as they are passed between the electronic gate reader (EGR) and the jet bridge door. When identifying proper measurement and counting of only those bags slated to go in the overhead bin, this can then be broadcast this to both counter and to the gate agent, cabin crew and ideally the ground crew. It can alert the team of key stakeholders when it is time to stop allowing the bags at the boarding door, redirecting the bags for gate check.
This small but impactful approach means that flight attendants will no longer have to estimate space or hurry to close bins at capacity. Gate agents won’t have to step away from normal close-out procedures to tag bags. Crucially, passengers will no longer have to return to check bags when there is no space, mitigating one potential area for departure delays.
In this highly time-critical workflow, every minute counts. Though our work with customers, we believe that this could shave as much as two minutes off the turn – around $200 per operation. Plus, it provides support to airline plans to reach net zero by 2050.
So, how can this be achieved? This approach can be quickly introduced at critical hub locations, leveraging existing cameras and integrating with existing technology and communications tools.
We could be flying net zero sooner than we first thought. Small changes can make a big impact, and by leveraging the right technology, airlines can affect real positive change – while saving money.
Eager to see it in action? Contact us today for a demonstration and discover how technology can help you speed up your turn, reduce emissions and increase savings.