McKinsey Quarterly 2023 Number 1

Today’s global fleet is more efficient than in the 1990s, with the newest aircraft around 15 to 20 percent more efficient than the average.

CO₂ intensity as proxy for aircraft fuel efficiency, gigatons of CO₂/revenue-passenger-kilometer

Typical aircraft

Global aircraft fleet average

Most efficient aircraft

Wide-body aircraft

89

110

75

1990

2019

Narrow-body aircraft

86

160

68

1990

2019

Note: Uses average fuel economy for wide- and narrow-body aircraft, which were responsible for ~80% of commercial aviation CO₂ emissions in 2019, and indicative values for older and newest aircraft in fleet. Source: International Council on Clean Transportation; Mission Possible Partnership; McKinsey analysis

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