CAPTAINS CAN BOOST AIRLINE FUEL EFFICIENCY.

• Author: Peters, Mark

I nterventions rooted in behavioral economics significantly and safely can boost the use of fuel- and carbon-efficient flight practices in the airline industry, according to economists at the University of Chicago and the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Their large-scale study, which incorporated data from more than 40,000 flights, found significant savings in carbon emissions and monetary costs when airline captains were provided with tailored monthly information on fuel efficiency, along with targets and individualized feedback. The behavioral effects of such interventions currently are estimated as the most cost-effective way to prevent a metric ton of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere.

"Our study demonstrates the potentially large effects behavioral research can have in providing crucially important win-win solutions for the economy and environment by improving existing efficiency opportunities in the workplace," says Robert...