Fuel Policy in Challenging Times
Finding efficiency without weakening operational resilience: better data, better policy and better feedback — not simply less fuel.
Fuel efficiency is not a target number
A mature fuel policy protects safety first, supports effective operations and then pursues efficiency. Weather, airspace disruption, congestion, destination reliability and supply constraints can all change what a sensible plan looks like.
Look at the complete system
Taxi assumptions, trip-fuel accuracy, contingency methodology, alternate strategy, discretionary fuel, tankering and dispatch information interact. Analysing one item in isolation can simply move risk or cost elsewhere.
Use operational data as a feedback loop
Performance-based fuel schemes create room for efficiency but require operational capability, monitoring and governance. Planned versus actual trip fuel, contingency use, arrival fuel, diversions and commander discretion should inform policy review.
The management question: Where does our fuel policy use evidence, and where does it still rely mainly on inherited assumptions?
Reference framework
EASA CAT.OP.MPA.180/181; ED Decision 2022/005/R on fuel/energy planning and management.
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