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Airline Fuel Usage and Carbon Emissions: Determining Factors

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  • Jan K. Brueckner
  • Chrystyane Abreu

Abstract

Using annual data on individual US airlines over the 1995-2015 period, this paper presents regression results relating an airline’s total fuel usage to seven variables: the available ton miles of capacity (passengers plus freight and mail) provided by the airline; the average seat capacity of its aircraft, average stage length (flight distance); average load factor (measured by weight); the average vintage (construction year) of its aircraft; the percentage of the airline’s flights that are delayed; and the average annual fuel price. The results show how fuel usage and carbon emissions depend on a small set of crucial variables. The estimated fuel-price effect allows the emissions impact of an optimal emissions charge to be computed, and the estimated delay effect shows the emissions impact of an industry-wide reduction in flight delays. The regression model is generated from a theoretical framework.

Suggested Citation

  • Jan K. Brueckner & Chrystyane Abreu, 2016. "Airline Fuel Usage and Carbon Emissions: Determining Factors," CESifo Working Paper Series 6033, CESifo.
    • Handle: RePEc:ces:ceswps:_6033
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    File URL: https://www.cesifo.org/DocDL/cesifo1_wp6033.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    airline; emissions; emissions charges; carbon;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q50 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - General

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