The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has highlighted the growing role of data and operational cooperation in helping airlines reduce fuel consumption amid rising costs.
With conflicts in the Middle East contributing to higher prices and greater volatility in energy markets, fuel now represents nearly one-third of airline operating costs. According to IATA, airlines are expected to spend around $350 billion on fuel in 2026.
IATA said the next generation of fuel savings could come from smarter operational decisions, deeper benchmarking and more detailed analysis of flight performance data.
The association also stressed that airlines cannot achieve maximum fuel efficiency on their own. Closer cooperation with Air Navigation Service Providers will be required to enable more efficient gate-to-gate flight trajectories and reduce unnecessary fuel burn.
IATA Director of Flight and Operations Stuart Fox said every drop of fuel matters in the current environment, adding that while airlines can identify savings within their own operations through data and benchmarking, further improvements will require coordinated action across the wider aviation ecosystem.
