Aviation’s transition toward a more sustainable future is often associated with new technologies and energy sources such as Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF), hydrogen propulsion, or electric aircraft. However, significant environmental improvements can already be achieved through the way aircraft are operated today.
Operational practices, from how pilots plan fuel to how aircraft climb and descend, can reduce fuel burn, emissions, and noise - while maintaining safety. These improvements involve pilots, airlines, air traffic management, training organisations, and regulators working together to optimise how aircraft are flown. Let’s take a closer look.
Environmental flying for pilots
Pilots play an important role in improving aviation’s environmental performance. How they fly the aircraft influences fuel consumption.
EASA promotes the concept of Environmental Flying, which integrates environmentally responsible operating techniques into pilot training and everyday operations. The goal is not only to teach new pilots about sustainability but also to embed these practices throughout the professional pilot community. As a prerequisite, sustainability measures must never compromise safety.
Environmental flying focuses on:
- understanding how operational choices affect environmental impact;
- efficient flight planning and fuel management;
- optimised climb, cruise, and descent profiles;
- avoiding unnecessary drag or energy loss;
- reducing noise and emissions during operations.
The incorporation of environmental considerations into pilot training and airline procedures ensures that pilots can contribute to reducing fuel burn and emissions while maintaining safe and efficient operations. Smarter fuel and energy management. Carrying more fuel than necessary increases aircraft weight, which increases fuel consumption. Fuel planning has traditionally focused on ensuring that aircraft carry enough fuel to safely complete the flight and handle contingencies.
In 2022, EASA updated fuel/energy management rules to modernise this approach by introducing more flexible and performance-based fuel schemes leading to environmental gains, while maintaining appropriate safety margins. The approach supports better operational efficiency and can reduce unnecessary fuel carriage, which in turn reduces fuel burn and emissions during flight.
Continuous climb and descent operations
Continuous Climb Operations and Continuous Descent Operations allow aircraft to follow smoother flight profiles with fewer interruptions. These techniques enable aircraft to climb or descend using optimum thrust and speed profiles, reducing fuel burn, emissions, and noise around airports.
Studies show that continuous descent approaches can save tens of kilograms of fuel per flight for narrow-body aircraft, with larger aircraft saving even more. Consider the thousands of planes flying every day, then that number gets more impressive – and every bit counts.
More efficient air traffic management
Operational efficiency also depends heavily on the structure of airspace and the way flights are managed.
Modern air traffic management initiatives aim to allow aircraft to fly more direct and optimal trajectories, reducing both fuel burn and emissions. For example, improvements in air traffic management and airspace design are expected to significantly reduce CO₂ emissions per flight in the coming decades.
These improvements allow airlines to avoid unnecessary detours, reduce holding patterns, and optimise flight paths.
A shared responsibility
Many of these measures require no new aircraft technology, only improved procedures, training, and operational awareness. However, the implementation of these procedures depends on various actors:
- pilots applying efficient operating techniques;
- airlines implementing fuel efficiency programmes;
- air traffic management enabling efficient flight paths;
- airports supporting efficient operations;
- regulators providing the regulatory framework and guidance.
Together, these operational improvements form an important part of aviation’s pathway toward a more sustainable future.
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