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Do planes burn more fuel than cars?

While most people think driving a car is better for the environment than flying in an airplane, that's not necessarily true because airplane engines are getting much more efficient.



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For example, a study by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute states the energy intensity of car transportation is on average 57% higher than air transports. In other words, a car emits more CO2 than the average planes because they consume more energy to transport the same amount of passengers.

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A Boeing 747 filled with passengers to only 75 percent capacity is more fuel-efficient than an automobile with a driver and one passenger in terms of fuel burn per passenger mile. Hard to believe, isn't it?

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While most people think driving a car is better for the environment than flying in an airplane, that's not necessarily true because airplane engines are getting much more efficient.

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With today's fuel prices, it costs about $450,000 to fill up a Boeing 747, depending on your market. By contrast, the Gulfstream G280, a popular business aviation aircraft, costs around $8,000 to fill.

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Based on 450 annual owner-operated hours and $6.00-per-gallon fuel cost, the BOEING 737-700 has total variable costs of $2,996,910.00, total fixed costs of $357,370.00, and an annual budget of $3,354,280.00. This breaks down to $7,453.96 per hour.

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A modern Boeing 747 can fly about 15,000 km (9,500 miles) when it's flying at 900 kmh (550 mph). This means it can fly non stop for almost 16 hours!

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Finally, the plane is the most polluting means of transport and the one that generates the most greenhouse emissions.

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The Burning of Fossil Fuels Most of the air pollution takes place due to the incomplete burning of fossil fuels. These include coal, oil, and gasoline to produce energy for electricity or transportation.

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Taking a seven-day cruise is more than three times as carbon-intensive as flying and staying abroad.

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One thing we do understand is that a machine like a commercial aircraft needs fuel. However, despite this obvious knowledge, one common reason for airplane crashes is that the plane has run out of gas.

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On many larger commercial airplanes, a special nozzle is fitted to the wing. If a pilot deems it necessary, the system pumps fuel out of the nozzle into the atmosphere quickly – we're talking about a few tons per minute in most cases. It may look dramatic, but it's not a dangerous procedure.

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Fuel dumping (or a fuel jettison) is a procedure used by aircraft in certain emergency situations before a return to the airport shortly after takeoff, or before landing short of the intended destination (emergency landing) to reduce the aircraft's weight.

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The record-breaking flights will take place on Airbus A350-1000s, the airline industry's largest wide-body aircraft. In 20 hours, you could bicycle the entire 200 miles from Baltimore, Maryland, to New York City (and maybe even have a couple hours to spare).

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According to the Wall Street Journal, the average profit per passenger of the seven largest U.S. airlines was $17.75 — for just a one-way flight — and the average profit margin across those seven airlines was 9% in 2017.

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The cost to rent a private jet varies from $2,000 – $14,000 per billable flight hour. These hourly rates include a broad selection of aircraft from turboprops to the finest executive jets in the skies.

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Emissions from flights stay in the atmosphere and will warm it for several centuries. Because aircraft emissions are released high in the atmosphere, they have a potent climate impact, triggering chemical reactions and atmospheric effects that heat the planet.

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