Bealzebub
What you have to consider also is that the comfort factor of a tonne of fuel regardless multiplied by the number of flights per year x £18 per flight is a considerable amount.
Let's say that you work for BA at LHR with 41% of the slots.
£18 per flight x 41% total movements of 44/hour x 18 hours operation per day x 365 days = several million pounds per annum - and that is using 737/320 fuel amounts, let alone 747 at 13 hours x 4% = 42 % extra fuel burnt.
I am not management - far from it, believe me - but what my company want is for the flight crew (both guys, not just one) to make sensible decisions on the day - the cost savings still outweigh 2 or 3 diversion costs. So, I ask myself, is there anything to suggest that this falls outside of the 99% statistical contingency that I am offered. If there is something then I load extra fuel (about 50% of the time
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