Have you ever been fast asleep on a plane and been woken up when the engines feel like they kick into high gear mid-flight? Far from being a sign of impending doom, it’s the aircraft climbing to a higher altitude, just one of the many tricks that we pilots employ to make our flights more environmentally friendly. Yes, aircraft are more fuel efficient than ever, but pilots are also able to fly them in ways that reduce the environmental impact further still without compromising the safety of passengers or crew.
While commercial aviation accounts for 2.5 percent of global carbon emissions, the industry is taking strides to reduce its carbon footprint. Here are five small steps—from takeoff to landing—we take in the cockpit to minimize the amount of fuel we use, fly more efficiently, and cut down a flight’s carbon output:
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