One of the most pressing global issues in society today is climate change and the need to reduce carbon emissions. As a significant contributor to emissions, the aviation industry is aware that it needs to reduce its emissions, but the next question becomes ‘How?’
Our latest article published by The Marketing Societydiscusses how Virgin Atlantic has taken the problem in hand in an innovative trial.
Drawing on insights from behavioural science, the airline nudged their pilots to reduce their fuel consumption. A pilot actually has considerable influence; the amount of fuel burned is highly dependent on the decisions made by the captain who can influence fuel costs by choosing the speed, altitude and route. Moreover, captains can also shut off one or more engines while taxiing to conserve fuel.
Over the course of the 8-month trial, the intervention saved Virgin an estimated £3.3 million in fuel costs – in comparison, Virgin’s annual profit was £14.4 million in 2014. In addition, carbon emissions were reduced by 21,500 tonnes of CO2 – the same would be emitted by an Airbus A330 flying 170 times from London to New York City!