Operational Efficiency: Where leadership makes the biggest difference.

As aviation accelerates its transition toward net-zero, one could be tempted to focus their attention on long-term structural levers: fleet renewal cycles, Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF), and breakthrough technologies.

These elements are essential; operational efficiency is the decarbonization lever with the greatest short-term potential, and it remains significantly underexploited across the global airline industry.

While fleet renewal and SAF strategies take years to implement, operational practices can deliver immediate, measurable, and scalable fuel and CO₂ savings. Yet today, most airlines are still far from capturing the full value these levers can unlock.

Where do airlines stand today on fuel optimization best practices?

In the Aviation Sustainability Index, Roland Berger analyzed six pilot-driven fuel-saving practices across three maturity levels: basic, advanced, and expert. The results show that while overall operational maturity scores appear broadly similar across airline types, the underlying profiles differ substantially.

Low-cost airlines come out ahead overall thanks to their widespread use of basic and advanced practices. Legacy carriers lead at the expert level, mainly due to their use of sophisticated contingency-fuel techniques and their greater reliance on dispatch teams to support decision-making.

What can airlines gain by increasing operational efficiency?

1.  Direct financial upside

Normally, fuel represents 25–35% of airline operating costs. In today's context, it can reach up to 45%. 
Operational practices improve sustainability and Profit & Loss performance with the same interventions, an increasingly rare strategic alignment.

2.  Immediate CO₂ reductions

In a sector where many decarbonization solutions have long lead times, operational optimization delivers savings immediately. Every optimized trajectory, every kg of weight removed, and every minute of APU avoided translates directly into CO₂ reduction.

3. Organizational transformation at low capital intensity

Improving operations does not require billion-dollar aircraft orders or complex infrastructure. It requires leadership attention, aligned incentives, modern digital tools, and cross-functional discipline.

The real leadership question

When it comes to operational excellence, the facts are clear:

• The technology exists.
• The practices are well known.
• The potential is enormous.

Adoption depends far more on leadership commitment, operational culture,  and the ability to mobilize frontline teams than on external conditions.

Airlines that elevate operational excellence to a strategic priority will gain immediate sustainability impact, stronger economics, and a more resilient operating model.