[Report] Must-know airline fuel efficiency trends

Fuel costs keep rising, and carbon pricing keeps tightening. The good news: many airlines are already turning that pressure into real savings. This report shows you how. It's built on real flight data, so you can see exactly which initiatives are delivering results for airlines like yours, and what they could mean for your own operations.

We looked at real flight data from the SkyBreathe® Community:  80+ airlines. +15 million flights. 714 million kg of fuel saved in 2025 alone. Here's what the data says is working. 

3 top-performing fuel optimization techniques

1. Reduced Acceleration Altitude (RAAL): 146,601 tons of fuel saved*

Starting acceleration at a lower altitude reduces drag sooner in the climb. Depending on aircraft type and noise procedures, this saves 16 kg per flight for a turboprop, up to 200 kg for a long-range aircraft.

2. Continuous Descent (CDA): 100,093 tons of fuel saved*

Descending at idle thrust, without leveling off, cuts fuel burn during descent. A single-aisle aircraft like the A320 or B737 saves 30 to 70 kg per flight, larger aircraft can save over 250 kg. Read the full breakdown of Continuous Descent Approach.

3. Engine-Out Taxi-In: 50,594 tons of fuel saved*

Shutting down one engine during taxi-in adds up fast. Just 45 seconds of single-engine taxi on an A320 or B737 saves 3 kg of fuel per flight, across 30,000 flights a year, that's 100,000 kg. See the complete Engine-Out Taxi-In guide for implementation tips.

*Total fuel saved by the SkyBreathe®Community in 2025.

These three techniques deliver strong results. But the full report goes further, covering fuel-saving opportunities across the entire flight journey: 

Trending airline operations' efficiency initiatives

• Fleet modernization: how much fuel new-generation aircraft actually save over older models.
• Weight-reduction strategies: how airlines are finding savings without compromising passenger comfort.
• Dispatch & fuel reserves: what's changed since the new EASA rules, and what it means for your fuel planning.
• Ground operations & electric taxi: the real tradeoffs behind electric taxi systems, backed by a dedicated fuel-savings study.
• Cruise: Free Route Airspace: what 15 years of data show about direct routing savings.
• Descent & approach: Continuous Descent, Short Approaches, and RNP-AR, including which airports are getting this right.
• Regulations & carbon cost: what CORSIA, EU ETS, and rising SAF costs will mean for your budget.

 A report built on real flight data