British Airways, Lufthansa and Virgin Atlantic are among the least fuel-efficient airlines operating transatlantic routes, according to research from the organisation that helped expose the recent Volkswagen scandal.
The study from The International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) ranked the top 20 airlines that operated transatlantic routes in 2014 against fuel efficiency.
The top performer last year was Norwegian Air Shuttle which burned 51 per cent less fuel per passenger kilometre than worst performer BA – Air Berlin and Aer Lingus completed the top three.
It showed a typical passenger on Norwegian travelled 40km per litre of fuel, while flyers on British Airways and Lufthansa travelled only 27km.
Many legacy carriers displayed below average fuel efficiency on transatlantic operations, including the US carriers American, United and US Airways.
The study showed on average a nonstop transatlantic flight averaged about one tonne of CO2 emissions per passenger round trip. This is equivalent from a 35km daily commute in a Toyota Prius over a work year.
It also found that the impact of premium seating on emissions was “substantial”. First and business class seats accounted for only 14 per cent of Available Seats per Kilometre (ASKs) flown on transatlantic routes but were responsible for approximately one third of overall emissions.
The report states that despite the introduction of more modern aircraft there is still a lot more the industry could be doing. “There is a large and underestimated potential for in-sector CO2 emission reductions,” the report states.
“This highlights the role for additional policies to limit aviation emissions, notably the CO2 standard being developed by the Icao and a global market-based measure to price aviation carbon.”
British Airways said it was “very proud” of its environmental performance and said a “better approach” to the research would be to look overall global operations rather than segment one region.
The ICCT added the “failure” of airlines to invest in more fuel-efficient aircraft on one of the most lucrative routes in the world is a “clear sign that efficiency standards and carbon pricing are needed”.