Certain operators of turbine business aircraft in Europe will be able to reduce the amount of contingency fuel required under newly published EASA rules, with the intent to boost operational efficiency and thus reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
While the rules recognize that extra fuel needs to be carried to account for unexpected situations that can delay or prevent landing at the originally planned destination, “The amount of additional fuel required can be optimized, while continuing to ensure high safety levels, due to improved risk-assessment calculations based on better data and better decision making,” EASA said.
Scheduled to go into effect on October 31, the rules will allow operators of commercial and turbine business airplanes with a mtow of more than 12,500 pounds to reduce their contingency fuel load below what is normally required if they meet a specific set of special conditions and requirements. The regulation also clarifies and simplifies the requirements for helicopter fuel/energy planning and management.
Included are acceptable means of compliance (AMC) and guidance material (GM) to support implementation and approval. “The new AMC and GM on fuel schemes consider the robustness of the operators’ management system and are structured around three levels of performance, allowing operators to increase operational efficiency, with both cost efficiency and environmental benefits,” said EASA.