Tourexpi
Emirates
embarked on implementing “Green Operating Procedures” (‘Green Ops’)* in
2016, taking a multi-pronged approach that looks for opportunities to reduce
on-ground and in-flight fuel use, in addition to providing pilots with the
necessary education, awareness, data analytics and technology to help them
manage their flights as efficiently as possible.
Led
by an internal cross-functional Operations Efficiency Steering Group, the
airline aims to mitigate unnecessary fuel burn and emissions wherever possible,
while ensuring the highest safety standards embraced by Emirates are never
compromised. In the last financial year 2023-2024, ‘Green Ops’ and other
operating initiatives helped Emirates reduce fuel burn by more than 48,000
tonnes and carbon emissions by over 151,000 tonnes.
Captain
Hassan Al Hammadi, Emirates’ Divisional Senior Vice President Flight Operations
said: “We’re proud of the work done across the Flight Operations team, and
the contributions of our pilots in significantly reducing fuel consumption and
emissions. This could have only happened through collective discipline,
commitment, and dedication to sustainable aviation practices in the cockpit,
all while maintaining the highest levels of safety. We’ve equipped our pilot
community with the latest tools and applications to monitor and review their
flight performance, helping them to improve their awareness of how their flying
techniques impact fuel consumption and emissions. We’ll continue to invest in
cutting-edge technologies and accelerate solutions that yield long-term
environmental benefits.”
Here
are some of the key operational measures taken in the air and on the ground
wherever operationally feasible during each Emirates flight to reduce
unnecessary fuel burn and emissions:
Discretionary
Extra Fuel
The
Commander of the flight bears the ultimate responsibility for ensuring that
each flight uplifts a sufficient quantity of fuel for safe operations.
Depending on the assessment of prevailing operational circumstances, the
Captain may choose to uplift extra fuel beyond the minimum stipulated by
regulatory standards. This initiative aims to encourage the Captain to uplift
extra fuel based on well-founded judgment and legitimate operational needs. The
goal is to furnish Captains with pertinent data and analysis, aiding them in
making more informed and precise decisions regarding the uplift of extra fuel.
With this initiative uplift of discretionary extra fuel has reduced
significantly.
Flight
speed optimization
An
aircraft’s speed directly impacts its fuel consumption and emissions. To
accurately calculate the optimised speed for a flight, a number of
considerations are made based on a thorough calculation that seeks to minimize
total operating costs while maintaining adherence to departure and arrival
schedules. Depending on prevailing operating conditions, pilots may have the
opportunity to adjust speed to decrease fuel consumption without compromising
the integrity of the flight schedule. This inflight speed management is an
integral part of all Emirates’ pilot SOPs.
Reduced
flap landing
Aircraft
have the flexibility to land using a variety of flap configurations. Emirates
pilots carefully assess and select the flap setting that minimizes aerodynamic
drag, reducing fuel consumption as a result. This decision is made without
compromising safety and is adapted to different runway conditions.
Idle
reverse thrust
As
soon as the aircraft is on the ground, pilots have the option to use different
levels of reverse thrust, providing backwards thrust to decelerate the
aircraft. Based on prevailing conditions and runway length, Emirates pilots
will prioritise the use of idle reverse thrust to reduce fuel consumption.
Reduced
engine taxi-in (RETI)
During
ground taxiing after landing, aircraft don't require power from all engines.
Emirates pilots take advantage of every opportunity to engage in reduced engine
taxiing by shutting down one or two engines (depending on the aircraft's engine
configuration) upon landing. This practice is implemented without compromising
safety or operational efficiency. Since it was introduced, the use of RETI
has increased by almost seven fold.
Optimised
flight routings
A
pioneer and early adopter of flight planning efficiencies, Emirates has been
using flexible flight routes since 2003. Working directly with air traffic
control and other industry bodies across its network, the airline works hard to
optimise each route flown between cities. Optimising routings enables Emirates
to carry and use less fuel on flights, resulting in lower emissions. It also
means time saved for customers.
Technology
and Innovation - Flight Pulse
Emirates
introduced FlightPulse (collaboratively developed with GE Digital Aviation
Services), an extensive self-service data analytics tool to all its pilots,
incorporating crucial elements of operational data and analytics pertaining to
the safety and fuel efficiency performance of each flight. This tool has
significantly transformed the monitoring of flight operations data. The
rollout of FlightPulse has fostered improved collaboration between Flight
Operations management and the pilot community at Emirates, ultimately enhancing
safety and efficiency of flights. This initiative demonstrates the airline’s
commitment to industry innovation through technology adoption to improve fuel
efficiency.
Centre
of Gravity Optimisation
The
aircraft's centre of gravity (CG) significantly influences the safety and
efficiency of a flight. Loading the aircraft at the optimised Centre of Gravity
ensures proper weight and balance, increasing its aerodynamic efficiency which
ultimately saves fuel. Emirates has a rigorous policy of loading aircraft to
come as close as possible to the ideal trim line to minimise fuel burn.
APU
Usage
One
way Emirates reduces fuel consumption on ground is by minimising use of the
aircraft auxiliary power unit (APU), instead using the electrical ground power
unit (GPU) in order to reduce emissions. APU use has been reduced by more than
30% since this initiative was introduced.
Adjusted
potable water uplift
Emirates
uses an exacting scientific method of calculating potable water required for a
flight to reduce weight for more efficient fuel uplift. Each flight uploads the
required amount of potable water without compromising on passenger comfort.
*“Green
Operations” (‘Green Ops’) is a term used internally by flight operations
personnel and pilots at Emirates as part of a programme which incorporates a
number of measures to reduce fuel burn and carbon emissions.
Image
Credit: © Emirates Airlines
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