Fuel burn rates of commercial passenger aircraft: variations by seat configuration and stage distance

•An aviation fuel burn model using EMEP/EEA data measures fuel burn rate per seat per unit distance.•Average fuel use rate per seat-distance is compared over the short-, medium-, and long-haul air markets.•Variation of fuel use rates among routes is shown to depend on two key components, unit seat and unit distance.•Fuel burn is lowest in the 1500–2000NM range. Aircraft fuel consumption is a very large component of airline costs. Fuel burn is also very important because it is highly correlated with emissions and contributes directly to transport externalities. This paper calibrates fuel burn in kilos per seat per nautical mile for aircraft using the EMEP/EEA aircraft inventory database. We then employ the model with OAG flight schedule data to evaluate fuel burn by flight routes and aircraft types at a global scale. The paper shows comparative fuel use among different distance based markets as well as among a variety of routes in the long-haul market. The results show geographical heterogeneity of fuel burn rates among a variety of routes, while controlling for seat configuration and stage distance. The paper finds that stage lengths centered on 1500–2000NM have the lowest fuel burn rates under current technology, fleet composition, and seat configuration. These findings, together with comments on the viability of long range flights provide better understandings not only for the carbon taxation debates but also for operational efficiency of current aviation markets. The lower rates for moderate distance flights seems to favor networks without extreme links, and supports the use of a hub connection scheme.