No-frills airlines healthier for the environment

A flight assessment website recently found that no-frills airlines only produce as low as 35 per cent of the emissions generated by full service air carriers due to newer fleets and higher passenger capacity.

A study showed that if a couple en route to Venice from London flies with budget carrier Ryanair, they will acquire 440kgs of carbon footprint. In contrast, taking similar route with Alitalia will produce 977kgs. Moreover, easyJet flights to Zurich from London create 277kgs of carbon footprint, much lesser compared to using Aer Lingus with 688kgs per couple.

Airlines offering no-frills fares are flying with nearly all seats occupied, the study also said. In 2009, easyJet and Ryanair’s seats were 86 per cent and 82 per cent booked, respectively. Meanwhile according to the Association of European Airlines, Europe’s full service airlines have 68 per cent of their seats occupied. For instance, British Airways flies 73 per cent full on average.

An easyJet spokesman informed that the company utilizes newer aircrafts, making it more fuel-efficient. The average age of easyJet’s aircrafts is 3.5 years In addition, easyJet operates in small regional airports, resulting in shorter taxiing time and lesser delays for landing slots.

Today, full service carriers are engaging into the low cost aircraft market. Announced recently, Bmi is removing its business class section on domestic flights to convert its flights into economy-only cabins. Dominic Paul, Managing Director of Bmi, said that the move was in response to the rapidly changing aviation market where more and more travelers now prefer no-frills flights.