Would they save a significant amount to make up for the lost time? If they cut 15% off the speed of say 600 MPH over the distance of 4000 miles, they should save a lot of money.
If the airlines lowered their cruising speed by 15%, would they save a significant amount?
3 Responses to “If the airlines lowered their cruising speed by 15%, would they save a significant amount?”
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No. They can only make money when planes are flying, and timetables already maximize aircraft utilization for the highest yields. If it would be a financial advantage, it would have been done a long time ago. Maybe consider why average cruising speeds aren’t 15% faster than they are now? Hmmm…. As far as fuel savings, airlines have been hypersensitive about squeezing out every last drop since 9-11.
It isn’t that simple. Various aircraft are aerodynamically designed with an optimum cruising speed. Cutting the speed by 15% would affect the performance of the aircraft, and use more fuel.
United tried that by flying some of their aircraft at a slower rate. However there becomes a trade-off because the longer the flight, the more you have to pay your flight crew. Pilots are paid from the time the plane is pushed back until the flight arrives at the gate. It was never published what happened after United tried flying their planes at a slower rate.