Fuel Accounts For 40 Percent Of Airline Cost, Up From 15 Percent In 2000

New York, NY (AHN) - Aside from cutting jobs and reducing flights, airlines are finding every way to further diminish their soaring aviation fuel bill.

The added measures being undertaken include cleaning the aircraft of grime, lesser water for the faucets in the washroom and changing seats with lighter ones. According to the Air Transport Association, because of the sky-high cost of fuel, it has eaten up 40 percent of their expenses, up from only 15 percent in 2000.

Unless fuel prices go down, the collective fuel bill of all American air carriers would top $61.2 billion in 2008, a fivefold jump from 2002 levels. A Boeing 737 requires 7,000 gallons, while a 747 needs up to 60,000 gallons of jet fuel.

A number of airlines have tacked on surcharges and begun to collect extra fees for second bags. Many are also clipping the wings of older aircraft. Northwest would retire DC-9 jets, American Airlines would sideline its MD-80s and United would temporarily rest six 747s.

Even pilot manuals would not be spared. Duplicate flight manuals would no longer be carried, instead half of the set would be carried by the pilot and the other half by the first officer. There are plans to discard printed manuals which would be replaced by information on computer screens.

Outside the U.S., China Airlines and Eva Airways, Taiwan's major carriers, announced they would reduce their flights to U.S. and Asian destinations. China Airlines spokesman Bruce Chen told Bloomberg CAL would cut 100 passenger flights a month, while EVA Air spokeswoman Katherine Ko said it would reduce by 5 percent its passenger services from Sept. 1 to Dec. 1.