easyJet has become the world’s first airline to trial a new lightweight paint process designed to make significant fuel savings and reduce carbon emissions.

Developed in partnership with Mankiewicz Aviation Coatings, the new system results in a 27 kg weight reduction for each of the airline’s Airbus A320 family aircraft, which normally require around 265 litres of paint.

With 38 aircraft already painted using the new process, the company plans to roll it out across its entire fleet by 2030. It expects it to yield an annual fuel saving of 1,296 tonnes, equivalent to a reduction of 4,095 tonnes of CO2 emissions.

“This initiative underscores our commitment to exploring and developing innovative solutions to minimise our environmental impact,” said Lahiru Ranasinghe, easyJet’s Director of Sustainability. “By constantly assessing every facet of our operations for efficiency gains, we’re taking significant strides towards achieving our sustainability goals.”

Andrew Richardson, Aviation Sales Manager at Mankiewicz Aviation Coatings, echoed the sentiment, stating, “Sustainability and environmental guardianship are deeply ingrained in Mankiewicz’s core values. Collaborating with easyJet on this project has been immensely rewarding.”

Richard Marston, Chief Commercial Officer at MAAS Aviation, the Dublin-based MRO specialist responsible for painting the aircraft at its Maastricht facility, added, “Environmental responsibility is paramount to our operations at MAAS, and we are committed to using the latest technology products that deliver exceptional performance while minimising environmental impact.”

Predicted fuel and carbon emissions savings of easyJet’s new paint system:

  • Based on 1 Aircraft per year (1,800 sectors) – 3.6 tonnes of fuel/ 11.3 tonnes of CO2
  • Based on 50 Aircraft per year – 180 tonnes of fuel/ 565 tonnes of CO2
  • Based on future full fleet per year (full financial year 2029) – 1,296 tonnes of fuel/ 4,068 tonnes of CO2

    easyJet is trialling a new paint system that lowers weight and fuel burn.