A recent International Council on Clean Transportation report ranks Alaska Airlines as No. 1 in fuel efficiency for U.S. airlines for the fifth year in a row.
Alaska outperformed the least fuel-efficient carrier in 2014 by 25 percent and led all 13 major U.S. carriers as the most fuel-efficient airline operating in the United States.
One highlight of the report noted that “the past five years have seen a steady increase in the number of seats available per flight, driven by upgrading to larger aircraft and also by simply adding seats to planes.”
Those changes allow airlines to move the same number of passengers with fewer flights and translate into increased fuel efficiency, however come at the cost of less airports served and longer waits between flights.
Alaska Airlines stated some key contributors for their top ranking include newer, more aerodynamic Boeing 737 and Bombadier Q400 fleets along with innovative flying efficiencies for landings.
The airline has also worked to reduce ground costs by cutting idling at gates and using of electric ground vehicles.
Alaska Airlines has reduced its carbon emissions by 33 percent over the last decade through those efforts.
