US airline fuel consumption update |

Fuel costs are the main input cost variable for an airline. The fuel cost is, therefore, a major item to watch. But as the green wave continues its drive across the industry, the other side of fuel burn is pollution. Less fuel burn means lower costs and greener credentials. Green is important, but saving cash will still be item #1. The following chart uses Form 41 data and shows an impressive trend for improved fuel burn since 2010. The US airline industry cut fuel burn as a percent of operating costs by 13%. In absolute terms, fuel burn has improved as well. The following chart shows that fuel burn per seat miles/gallon is 21% better. That is a performance we suggest few other industries can match. This is an impressive outcome. Peeling back the strategic level for a tactical one, we see something very interesting—Alaska Airlines is the most fuel-efficient airline in the single-aisle segment. We selected the airlines from the model to show how the numbers track over time. Note Alaska's average stage length has not changed that much. But its fuel burn has improved substantially. Why is that? As the following chart illustrates, Alaska saw a steady improvement in fuel burn/flight. There is an odd bump in 2022. Alaska has been updating its fleet rapidly. It retired its A319s and A320s from the Virgin America merger. It has been taking delivery of MAX9s. The following chart shows the ASM breakdown since 2010. The MAX9 is impacting the airline's fuel burn. It helps that the MAX9 is the most fuel-efficient single-aisle in the market. The data point to industry-wide improvements in fuel burn. Alaska's numbers look, perhaps, too good and may change as the data is refreshed. The Southwest data is erroneous and is being refiled.

US Flight Planner - US DoT On-Time Data	Airbus vs Boeing - Official OEM Data
US Airline Schedule Performance - US DoT Data	Daily OEM Production & Deliveries -

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