easyJet showcases new 'carbon reducing' plane at Newcastle International Airport

easyJet has showcased the Airbus A320neo at Newcastle International Airport today (February 23).

The neo brings significant environmental and operational benefits - up to 15 percent savings in fuel burn and CO2 emissions, and a reduced noise footprint of 50 percent on takeoff and landing phase.

Crucially, this means the quieter aircraft minimises its noise impact on local communities.

easyJet operates to more destinations than any other airline at Newcastle, serving 16 destinations from the airport. The airline is excited to be introducing the neo to some of these routes this year, as Newcastle Airport’s fleet of A320neos increases.

Since 2000, easyJet has reduced its carbon emissions per passenger, per kilometre by over 32 per cent. Its current target is a 10 per cent reduction from its financial year 2016 performance by 2022, which would be a 38 per cent improvement from 2000.

Sophie Dekkers, easyJet’s country director, said: “We are very pleased to have continued to deliver a reduction in the amount of CO2 we emit and look forward to reaching our target of 77 grams by 2020.

“By using modern Airbus aircraft and flying them efficiently we have reduced the carbon impact of our flights by a third since 2000.

“The A320neo is also 50 per cent quieter during take-off and landing, which is hugely important to easyJet as it minimises our impact on the local community.”

Nick Jones, Newcastle International Airport’s chief executive officer, added: “We’re thrilled to be part of easyJet’s neo story and are delighted that the airline chose to showcase the aircraft here today.

“At Newcastle Airport, we’re committed to ensuring we’re using the latest in technology right across the airport, and the aircraft that operate here are no different.

“Operating this revolutionary aircraft from Newcastle shows easyJet’s commitment to the region which is fantastic. The airline operates to more destinations than any other at the airport, playing a big part in our role as the international gateway for the North East.”

easyJet’s biggest impact on the environment is its fuel consumption and the associated carbon emissions, therefore it is aiming to constantly reduce its carbon footprint.