Leah Raney, the airline's managing director of global environmental affairs at Continental Airlines, told MeetingNews that the airline is the first U.S. carrier to order the Boeing 787. The aircraft is said to be 20 percent more fuel-efficient than similarly sized aircraft.
Raney adds the airline was the first “in the world to retrofit Boeing 757-200s and 737-500s with winglets, which are wingtip extensions that lower aircraft drag and result in up to a 5-percent reduction in emissions and noise. We are also reducing emissions through aircraft weight-reduction initiatives, such as removing unnecessary service equipment and transitioning from steel brakes to lighter carbon brakes.”
Earlier this month, Emirates Airlines announced that it completed the longest green flight in the world, from Dubai to San Francisco International Airport.
Last month, a United Airlines flight also used low-tech methods to cut fuel use and emissions.
Airlines are also slowing down to save on fuel. In May, Southwest Airlines said it would save $42 million in fuel this year by extending each flight by one to three minutes.
Other airlines, such as Japan Airline, British Airways, and Continental Airlines are planning or have already completed green flights through the use of biofuels.
