Flying smarter: How airlines are using tech to cut fuel burn and flight times
September 13, 2025
As pressure mounts on airlines to improve efficiency and cut their carbon footprint, carriers are finding that the answer lies not just in new aircraft but in the smarter use of data.
The industry is embracing advanced digital tools that allow pilots and flight operations teams to adjust routes and flight profiles in real time, collectively shaving off hours of flying and tonnes of carbon emissions in the process.
Air India embraces flight path innovation
Air India Group is the latest major carrier to commit to this new wave of innovation.
In September, the airline announced the deployment of SITA OptiFlight and SITA eWAS across its Airbus A320 and Air India Express Boeing 737 fleets.
Together, the tools are expected to cut the airline’s carbon emissions by 35,000 tonnes annually.
“Sustainability and efficiency are core to our transformation into a world-class airline,” said Basil Kwauk, Chief Operations Officer, Air India.
The technology does something deceptively simple: it helps pilots climb, cruise, and descend more intelligently.
OptiClimb, part of SITA’s OptiFlight suite, uses historical flight data and real-time weather forecasts to calculate the most fuel-efficient climb profile for each aircraft on each flight – reducing burn in what is one of the most energy-intensive phases of flight.
Meanwhile, eWAS provides pilots with live weather data and predictive turbulence alerts, enabling them to reroute proactively rather than reactively.
“The need for intelligent, predictive solutions has never been more critical,” noted Sumesh Patel, President, Asia Pacific at SITA. “Air India’s deployment of SITA OptiFlight and eWAS is a strong example of how smart digital technologies can cut emissions, save fuel, and unlock real operational value across every flight.”
Using real-time data to refine flight trajectories
Air India’s move comes amid a broader industry shift
Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) has been working with AVTECH Sweden and the UK Met Office on ClearPath, a solution that taps into high-resolution weather data to refine flight trajectories in real time.
Unlike traditional planning systems that rely on more basic forecasts, ClearPath allows pilots to use favourable winds and avoid turbulence more precisely.
AVTECH’s system utilises high-resolution aviation weather forecasting from the Met Office, delivered through a 4-dimensional (4DT) trajectory API.
The results are measurable. Since its rollout in 2024 (following a trial run from December 2022 to May 2023), SAS has seen incremental gains in fuel efficiency, with optimised flights saving an average of 24kg of fuel each, translating into a 1.44% reduction in burn on selected flights.
Latam Airlines has also signed on to use ClearPath and companion service Aventus, citing both operational efficiency and improved passenger comfort.
Crucially, ClearPath integrates seamlessly with existing flight management computers, requiring no hardware upgrades. That ease of adoption is accelerating uptake across the industry.
AI is improving efficiency
Other players are adding artificial intelligence into the mix. French airline Corsair has adopted Thales’ FlytOptim, an AI-powered solution that helps pilots refine vertical flight trajectories mid-flight.
By analysing live aircraft and weather data, FlytOptim suggests adjustments that can cut fuel consumption by up to 2% per flight.
Corsair’s trials showed savings of several hundred kilograms of fuel on long-haul routes to Africa and the Caribbean.
“The fuel savings achieved are clear and easily measurable,” said Cyrille Digon, Director Flight Support and CSR, Corsair.
“The trial of FlytOptim was easy to implement, and its adoption by pilots went smoothly.”
The pilot-friendly interface, developed with direct input from crews, has been key to adoption, and more than 80% of Corsair flights used FlytOptim within weeks of its trial launch.
Integrating with ATC
While much of the focus is on airline-driven tools, infrastructure changes are also vital.
The Lufthansa Group is pioneering real-time flight trajectory transmission on its new Airbus A320neo and A321neo aircraft.
Using ADS-C EPP technology, the system automatically shares the aircraft’s four-dimensional flight path (including time) with air traffic control.
This enables the German flag carrier to reduce flight path inefficiencies and improve airspace usage across Europe.
NASA’s Traffic-Aware Strategic Aircrew Requests (TASAR) software also helps pilots and ground crews find more efficient routes mid-flight.
Using a genetic algorithm (a machine learning system that finds the optimal answer by pitting hundreds of route changes against each other), TASAR generates hundreds of potential paths, discarding those crossing no-fly zones, bad weather, or nearby aircraft.
Constantly updated with onboard sensors and ground data, it identifies the safest, most fuel-efficient option, leaving the final decision to pilots.
Initially developed through NASA’s autonomy research, the system was later connected to real aircraft avionics.
The app now runs on electronic flight bags and in testing with Alaska Airlines, Green said the program saved 2% on fuel. It is now in use by airlines such as Porter and JetSmart.
Giving pilots the tools to change how they fly
Wizz Air has also collaborated with StorkJet, introducing its FlyGuide FPO (Flight Path Optimisation) across its fleet, giving pilots real-time, recommendations on speeds and altitudes during climb, cruise, and descent via the FlyGuide EFB app.
Unlike legacy flight management systems, which rely on generic models and limited weather inputs, FlyGuide FPO uses cloud computing, advanced performance data, and high-resolution forecasts to deliver precise, actionable guidance.
In trials covering more than 10,000 flights, 88% of Wizz Air pilots adopted the tool regularly, citing improved situational awareness.
The result was consistent fuel savings of 0.5–1% per flight across the ultra-low-cost carrier’s operations.
Individually, these initiatives may seem like incremental gains, but at scale, the impact is making a difference. Aviation fuel accounts for about 2% of global CO2 emissions, and each tonne of fuel saved equates to more than three tonnes of avoided CO2.
For airlines, the appeal is both environmental and financial. With fuel costs representing up to 30% of operating expenses, even marginal efficiency improvements can save millions annually.
