EasyJet has completed a multi-million pound retrofit of its fleet with new software designed to cut carbon emissions and fuel costs.
The investment is enabling the airline to make a permanent fuel saving of up to 1% or 88,600 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide a year – claimed to be equivalent to driving a car around the world 16,100 times.
All aircraft in the budget airlines fleet are now fully operating with Airbus’ Descent Profile Optimisation (DPO) alongside Continuous Descent Approach (CDA) software.
DPO is a fuel-saving initiative which updates flight management systems to enable more efficient descents by allowing aircraft to remain in the cruise phase longer and removing the ‘level-off’ stage at the bottom of the descent, which reduces carbon emissions.
The CDA works in tandem with DPO to reduce noise.
The programme, announced last year, is described as an integral part of the airline’s amition to reach net-zero by 2050.
It will help easyJet achieve “considerable and permanent carbon emission reductions” in the short-term by enabling more optimised descent trajectories.
Chief operating officer Captain David Morgan said: “While this is one initiative of many outlined in our roadmap to net-zero, it provides a permanent CO2 saving and forms another step on the way to us realising our net-zero target.
“While technologies like DPO and CDA are the best solution for more optimised descent trajectories in the here and now – more needs to be done by governments and policymakers to ensure that our airspace is modernised, including implementing Single European Sky, so that this state-of-the-art technology can be used to its full potential.”
Airbus sustainability and environment senior vice president Nicholas Chretien added: “These innovative solutions developed at Airbus enable airlines to increase fuel savings and reduce emissions during operations.”