With jet fuel up 200 percent from 2007 figures to $3.17 per gallon, airlines are looking for ways to trim extra weight from flights in order to conserve fuel. According to an AP report, fuel made up 27 percent of operating expenses for U.S. airlines — making it the No. 1 expense for airlines. In their search to cut the fat — especially in areas where passengers are unlikely to notice — carriers have pulled out unused ovens, magazine racks and trash compactors during the past few years. Some removed paper manuals in the cockpit and installed electronic maintenance logbooks. “The pressure is immense” to cut weight, said John Heimlich, chief economist for the Air Transport Association of America, an industry trade group, told the AP. “Every penny more per gallon adds $195 million to the industry’s expenses per year. You simply cannot make all of that up with fare increases.”
