INSIGHT – Comparing seat miles per gallon

The US Department of Transportation compiles economic data from airlines regarding operating costs, with fuel being one of those key elements.  We examined our airline operating cost model and developed a comparative fuel metric, which is seat miles per gallon.   The data for our models are updated about 6 months after the close of a calendar quarter, so our current data is through the 3rd quarter of 2021.  Our models, available free to subscribers, update automatically based on the latest available data.   

Our dataset includes fuel usage information, in US gallons, by aircraft type and airline, dating back to 2010.  Our dataset also includes the average seating for each aircraft type, which we have also broken down by airline, and by type of carrier (network, low-cost carrier, and ultra-low-cost carrier.)  As a result, we can provide multiple interesting comparisons between aircraft of various sizes.