[Closed] Fuel savings from ash cloud flight cancellations?

I'm not an expert, but I'd guess they're using less fuel sitting on the ground than they would be if they were flying around in the air. I could of course be wrong about this.

haha..... cheers

It hasn't saved me any fuel.

I maybe used more, driving 5 people 2000km & then ferry than our portion of the plane's usage?

[url= http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&source=web&ct=res&cd=7&ved=0CBUQFjAG&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.macroaxis.com%2F2010%2F04%2F19%2Fthe-ash-cloud-has-cut-world-jet-fuel-demand-by-at-least-1-million-barrels-a-day-or-about-a-fifth-of-global-consumption-market-analysts-say%2F&rct=j&q=fuel+saving+due+to+the+ash+cloud&ei=B8XMS4SFK5CksAaChJCmAw&usg=AFQjCNHbWAFZ1kwNpOF34NPbGwwPMpqM9Q ]approx 1 million barrels a day saved [/url]

Where are our petrochemists?

Can the surplus capacity for aviation fuel be turned to produce more say diesel?

Fuel saving has been airlines number 1 priority for some time. Limited use of the APU, single engine taxi, limited use of aircon, careful level selection, long range cruise, taking only navlog fuel, idle thrust descents, quicker clean up after take off, landing with lesser flaps settings, etc etc.

So you can guess that they will, except for maintenance be using zero fuel whilst grounded.

APU?

Auxiliary Power Unit I would imagine - the mini turbine in the back providing power when the main engines aren't running. don't know if it's used in flight.

fuel might be being saved, but our business is struggling to get imports in from pretty much anywhere 🙁

A million barrels a day? Just from European flights. Imagine how much the total airline industry consumes!

That's a lot of fuel. Makes you realise just how much we consume and just how finite these resources are.

Scary!

APU?

I googled it for you;

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Ah yes, I knew there was an auxiliary power unit.. cos I got stuck on a plane on the tarmac having boarded when European Air traffic control went down for like 5 hours. The APU packed up, leaving us on a boiling hot day sat on a plane with no aircon.

That aside, I hope some research has been done over the last week or so on pollution levels etc etc... just to see how naughty aircraft are?

Jet fuel trade invokes force majeure
Martyn Wingrove - Tuesday 20 April 2010
TRADERS of jet fuel have called force majeure on deliveries to the UK on long range product tankers because of the cancellation of flights, writes Martyn Wingrove .
The UK is one of the largest hubs for jet fuel in Europe and deliveries through at least five ports in southern England and Wales will be affected, as product is usually immediately piped to airports to supply aircraft.
One London shipbroker said product tankers would be unable to discharge cargoes at Avonmouth, Fawley, Thames terminals, Milford Haven and Immingham, so suppliers have called force majeure on deliveries.
“Tanks are full in airports and everything is stacking up. There is no where to put the jet fuel so it will have to remain in the tankers. Ships with jet fuel on board will have to sit there on demurrage or owners will renegotiate some sort of storage rate,” a London broker said.
Another broker said the impact on deliveries would be temporary: “Once the ash cloud disappears, demand will catch up. But if it goes on for weeks, then we will see more floating storage of jet fuel.”
Brokers expect jet fuel deliveries to Le Havre, Copenhagen and ports in the Amsterdam-Rotterdam- Antwerp area will also be affected if flights from nearby airports also remain affected by the volcanic ash cloud.
Since all north European flights were banned, jet fuel consumption has dropped by 1m barrels per day, or about a fifth of global consumption. European stocks have risen by 5m barrels.

APU?

Is a miniature jet engine usually in the tail of most airliners. We use it prior to engine start on the ground to provide bleed air to start the main engines. It can also be used to provide power to the aircraft and air conditioning on the ground before the main engine take over. In the air it is fairly unusual to run the APU and would normally only be used airborne in areas of thunderstorm activity (as a back up generator etc in the event of electrical failure/lightening strike) or as a backup generator in the case of the loss of an engine or two!

The APU uses fuel just like the main engines, as well as being noisy so most operators try to use it as little as possible and usually opt for a GPU (ground power unit)instead, this is an external plug in generator that keeps the electrics going but does not provide aircon.

BLAH, BLAH, BLAH..........

Can you tell I have been put on home standby indefinitely yet?