More passengers, less unnecessary weight: That’s the latest mantra of fuel-conscious airlines. In possibly the most noticeable weight-cut yet, US Airways has announced that it will remove the inflight entertainment systems from 200 aircraft flying domestic routes. The current systems weigh nearly 500 pounds. The airline promises to test a new, lighter seat-back system, but there is no timetable for movies’ return.

Infectious Greed blogger Paul Kedrosky, who writes about “Technology, Finance and the Money Culture,” dug up some more examples:

“Fascinating data points from an ATA document on how airlines are trying to slim down to save weight and stay in business given jet fuel at record levels:

• One airline saved over 17 gallons/year per pound of weight per airplane after shedding inflight phones, ovens, excess potable water, and some galley equipment on an older fleet
• In removing seatback phones from its MD-80s and B737-400s, another airline shed 200 pounds per airplane, translating into 3,400+ gallons saved annually
• Alaska Airlines indicated in March 2004 that removing just five magazines per aircraft could save $10,000 per year in fuel; also, the airline has reduced the weight of catering supplies
• Air Canada considered stripping primer and paint from its 767s to save 360 lbs. per plane
• JetBlue and US Airways and others have moved toward a paperless cockpit
• By removing six seats, JetBlue reduced A320 weight by approximately 904 pounds
• Airlines have been able to remove ovens, trash compactors, or even entire galleys, due to the elimination of hot meals on selected flights; others are using lighter seats; they have also removed magazine racks and replaced hard cabin dividers with curtains
• AirTran ordered carbon fiber Recaro seats for its 737-700s to shave 19.4 pounds per row, resulting in estimated fuel savings of $2,000 per year per aircraft
• Alaska’s new beverage cart, at 20 lbs. lighter, could save $500,000 in annual fuel costs
• Some airlines flush lavatories during extended ground delays to minimize takeoff weight

Imagine how much we could save without passengers, or, heck, without flying at all!”

A while back I blogged about faux airline Derrie-Air that proposed to charge passengers by the pound. However, not to disagree with Paul (who just left for vacation–have a great one, Paul! Did you fly?), but the airlines are actually doing the best they can to contain costs by packing in more passengers, not less, cutting down on flights with low load factors. There was one item this week that he’d like, however: a note that a British airline may be flying faux flights, i.e. flights with no passengers, periodically this summer just to hang onto its slots in and out of Heathrow–so I guess maybe he has a point!

- Mary Hunt, editor, eFlyer