Fuel Consumption Analysis on Boeing 747-400 Based on Cargo Flight Operational Data

Aircraft cruising flight performance, namely fuel consumption can theoretically be calculated using the Breguet Range equation which is influenced by flight distance, aircraft weight, and aerodynamic efficiency. Operational estimation of fuel consumption (trip fuel) can be determined using the operations man- ual if the weight, flight distance and flight altitude of the aircraft are known. This study compares theoretical fuel consumption estimates and actual data from Boeing 747-400 aircraft from an international cargo airline. Actual fuel consumption data is obtained based on flight records in the flight maintenance log which con- tains flight routes, fuel onboard, and fuel burned but does not include aircraft weight and payload weight. The results of the analysis from 2 sample routes yield a strong effect between the amount of fuel onboard by fuel consumption and theoretical estimates, which results in a comparison fuel consumption 2.4% and 1.9% of actual data.