- Flag carrier watches weight on aircraft to last detail
- Leading global airlines hire even slimmer air crew
GAZETTE REPORTER
Air Botswana watches the weight carried on its aircraft, to the last detail. This is according to the airline’s executive, speaking at a recent media engagement.
Air Botswana director commercial, Hugh Frazer, said that the airline was not to be left behind in terms of cutting costs by carried optimal weights of both passengers and baggage, on flights.
Frazer said that Air Botswana flights are not likely to incorporate full meals on its flights as regional routes that it plays in are typically short 55 minute flights. Ultimately the main consideration is weight carried in the aircraft, said Frazer.
“It’s not likely that we will carry more on board magazines besides the regular Peolwane magazine because we want to minimize weight.
Global airliner, British Airways saved P6 million in fuel costs by reduced engine taxiing – this meant flight crew would taxi out to their departure point with one engine shut down where suitable. BA has rolled this procedure out across its Airbus fleet. It saves 3,000 tonnes of fuel and more than 9,450 tonnes of CO2 at Heathrow annually. The airline also improved aircraft polish, reducing drag and improving fuel burn among other weight reducing measures.
Meanwhile, John Strickland, an aviation blogger who has held senior positions with a number of airlines including British Caledonian, British Airways, KLMuk and Buzz, opines that 2016 is the Year of Challenge for the Airline Industry observes that airliners have lost out on the chance to make better returns from significantly lowered fuel prices because of toughened competition which meant that savings were passed to the customer for the sake of competitiveness.