The best and worst airlines in terms of carbon emissions in American and European skies have been revealed after a painstaking study of the behavior of major airlines.
It is not the coefficient, which the majority of passengers cares about the most when using an airline, yet a 10-year study by Brighter Planet has revealed the saints and sinners in terms of emissions and care for the color green in the sky.
Brighter Planet used an advanced energy and carbon model over a period of 10 years to measure how much damage certain airlines do to the environment. In the US, Continental, JetBlue and Frontier came out on top, whereas American Eagle came out with the wooden spoon. On the international scale, Ryanair, Singapore Airlines and Delta came out on top, with SAS Scandinavian scoring the worst score.
Being the ultimate budget airline, Ryanair seem able to save in every department. Ryanair is famously loathed for its treatment of low-paying customers even to the point whereby it charges the use of toilets, yet its stinginess in the fuel department is admirable whichever way you look at it. Indeed, Ryanair manages to emit a third of the amount American Eagle does.
The ways of saving on emissions are sometimes strikingly obvious and sometimes more tricky. Fuller planes, thus reducing emissions per head, are a clear success of Ryanair. Having more economy seats is another clear method. The failures of American Eagle seem to be linked to its shortage of direct flights. Landings and take offs cause huge emissions and are often unnecessary. Better planning is essential to eradicate the wasted gases.