Airlines drop weight as fuel costs rise

(14 August 2008)

Weight-watching airlines are coming up with increasingly innovative ways to cut weight as fuel bills soar.

British Airways is reducing the size of passenger meals, scrapping cabin crew paperwork and issuing new lighter catering trolleys in a bid to lose weight.

Virgin is shaving off weight by removing all clingfilm from its meals, while Japan Airlines is slimming down the handles of its cutlery, reducing their mass by 2g each.

Other plans include removing earplugs from flights, cutting pages from in-flight magazines and making seats lighter.

A typical flight's catering equipment and food can weigh around six tonnes.

British Airways currently spends around £8 million a day on fuel, with its annual bill expected to exceed £3 billion.