Annual cycles: 1100
fuel prices.
Annual Flight Hours: 3300 Average sector length (Hours): 3
Figure 3-1 Color code and parameters of the 3 typical missions referred to throughout this document
It should be borne in mind that in some cases, the savings in fuel must be balanced against potential cost increases elsewhere in the operational cost breakdown. This balance is highly dependent on the operational environment. As such, this document highlights the factors that may change, but it does not attempt to quantify them. To illustrate this, the example of flying the aircraft at a lower speed can be used. Flying more slowly may reduce fuel burn but it will increase flight time. This will increase crew and other time related costs.
3.2. OPERATIONAL INITIATIVES
3.2.1. AIRCRAFT OPERATIONS
Efficient flight planning, which accurately predicts and optimizes overall performance, is a key contributor to minimizing costs. Accurate Computerized Flight Plan (CFP) production is a crucial element in achieving this. CFPs are produced, as the name suggests, using commercially available software or they may be obtained directly from a specialist sub-contractor.
Following a CFP and using appropriate factors in the Flight Management and Guidance System (FMGS), will help to:
.
Minimize direct operating costs,
.
Build Flight Crew confidence that fuel reserves will be intact on arrival and reduce tendencies to load extra fuel.
Two simple ways of reducing fuel consumption are optimizing airspeed and altitude. However, these two conditions may be difficult to achieve in an operational environment. Usually a compromise must be found between fuel burn and flight time on one hand and ATC constraints on the other. In any case, these aspects must be considered from the start and kept in mind throughout.
Note: in the interest of clarity 3 cost axes are used in the charts accompanying the operational initiatives discussed. To highlight the variation a fixed US$20,000 cost reference line (
US$20,000 ) has been added to each chart.
3.2.2. COST INDEX
The Cost Index represents the trade-off between the cost of time (crew costs, aircraft utilization and other parameters that are influenced by flight time) and the cost of fuel. It is used to minimize the total cost of a flight by optimizing AirS@vings
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