References and calculations

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Aircraft and flight data

Utilization

Airline Data Project (ADP) established by MIT Global Airline Industry Program

Data Source: US DOT Form 41, schedule T2. LINK

Large Narrowbody: B737-800, B737-MAX8, A320, A321, 321-NEO

Average Daily Block Hour Utilization of Total Large Narrowbody Fleet (Seat Size 150+, Single Aisle)

2019 (pre-pandemic) - avg. all sectors 10.80 hrs

2019 (pre-pandemic) - avg. all sectors 10.03 hrs average airborne

Fuel

Airline Data Project (ADP) established by MIT Global Airline Industry Program

Data Source: US DOT Form 41, schedule T2. LINK

Large Narrowbody: B737-800, B737-MAX8, A320, A321, 321-NEO

Gallons of Fuel per Block Hour 2020 - avg. all sectors 807 US gallon per block hour

1 US gallon = 3.785 liters

807 US gallon = 3054,495 liters

Stage data

Airline Data Project (ADP) established by MIT Global Airline Industry Program

Data Source: US DOT Form 41, schedule T2. LINK

Large Narrowbody: B737-800, B737-MAX8, A320, A321, 321-NEO

Average Stage Length Flown of Total Large Narrowbody Fleet (Seat Size 150+, Single Aisle)

2019 (pre-pandemic) - avg. all sectors 1,171 (2019 used to correlate with daily depatures)

Departure per Aircraft Day - LARGE NARROWBODY EQUIPMENT

2019 (pre-pandemic) - avg. all sectors 3.61

Example airline

Airline Data Project (ADP) established by MIT Global Airline Industry Program

Data Source: US DOT Form 41, schedule T2. LINK

Large Narrowbody: B737-800, B737-MAX8, A320, A321, 321-NEO

Fleet size varies based on calculation given.

Gallons of Fuel per Block Hour Fuel 2020 - avg. all sectors 807 US gallon

Average Daily Block Hour Utilization 2019 (pre-pandemic) - avg. all sectors 10.80 hrs

Average Daily Block Hour Utilization 2019 (pre-pandemic) - avg. all sectors 10.03 hrs average airborne

Average Stage Length Flown 2019 - avg. all sectors 1,171

Departure per Aircraft Day - avg. all sectors 3.61

Average flight time pr. flight calculation

Average Daily Block Hour Utilization 2019 (pre-pandemic) - avg. all sectors 10.80 hrs divided by Departure per Aircraft Day - avg. all sectors 3.61

Equals 2.9916 rounded up to 3 hrs pr flight.

Example flight

Airline Data Project (ADP) established by MIT Global Airline Industry Program

Data Source: US DOT Form 41, schedule T2. LINK

Large Narrowbody: B737-800, B737-MAX8, A320, A321, 321-NEO

Gallons of Fuel per Block Hour Fuel 2020 - avg. all sectors 807 US gallon

Flight time: 3.00hrs

Average flight time pr. flight calculation

Average Daily Block Hour Utilization 2019 (pre-pandemic) - avg. all sectors 10.80 hrs divided by Departure per Aircraft Day - avg. all sectors 3.61

Equals 2.9916 rounded up to 3 hrs pr flight.

Product related

Drag & Fuel

Airbus Flight Operations Support and Services Issue 2 - Jan 2008 PDF

SINTEF evaluation report Aircraft fuel savings by regular washing PDF

This study documents the effect of aircraft exterior cleaning. The natural accumulation of dirt on the aircraft’s external surface will introduce a slight roughness that, overall, can induce significant additional drag. There is no standard definition of how dirty is a “dirty aircraft” and so this assessment can only give an indication for the potential fuel penalty.

All calculations using aircraft wash as an example references this document and add the "MISSION C" to best match reported average US stage length for US large narrowbody aircraft +14% compensation for A321

The data used differences between a "medium" and "heavy" scenario on how dirty the aircraft is.

DATA USED

Data - Mission C
Annual cycles: 1100
Annual Flight Hours: 3300
Average sector length (Hours): 3
Additional fuel per sector - A320* (KGs) with 14% for A321: Medium 17.1 Heavy 51.3

17.1KGs JETA = 21.30 liters

51.3KGs JETA = 63.90 liters

Since fuel prices are highly volatile all cost numbers used are USD $2.70 per US gallon (USD $0.71 per liter) as average on fuel prices last 12months. Ref fuel prices: IATA Price monitor LINK

Engine-Wash

Airbus Flight Operations Support and Services Issue 2 - Jan 2008 PDF

This study documents the effect of aircraft exterior cleaning. With time, dirt will accumulate on the engine’s fan and compressor airfoils and consequently reduce engine efficiency. Water washes of the engine fan and core are recommended to remove this and can often reduce fuel flow by 0.5% and up to 1%. Periodic engine water washes also have a positive effect on the exhaust gas temperature margin and consequently on engine overhaul intervals. Contamination levels depend on the aircraft’s operation and environment, so each operator must optimize their wash frequency. As a starting point, operators are advised to carry out engine washes once a year. Operators wishing to optimize wash frequency may do so by monitoring the effects against and appropriate control data set (e.g. previously accumulated data or a partial fleet at the previous wash frequency)

Our Engine-wash partner have numbers indicating a average reduction of 1.67%. We will update our number when this data is published.

All calculations using aircraft wash as an example references this document and add the "MISSION C" to best match reported average US stage length for US large narrowbody aircraft +14% compensation for A321

DATA USED

Data - Mission C
Annual cycles: 1100
Annual Flight Hours: 3300
Average sector length (Hours): 3
Additional fuel per sector - A320* (KGs) with 14% for

A321: 39.9 to 79.8

39.9KGs JETA = 49.70 liters

79.8KGs JETA = 99.40 liters

Since fuel prices are highly volatile all cost numbers used are USD $2.70 per US gallon (USD $0.71 per liter) as average on fuel prices last 12months. Ref fuel prices: IATA Price monitor LINK

CO2 and NOx

IATA Carbon Offset Program Frequently Asked Questions PDF

• CO2 emissions: The global average CO2 emissions per passenger on a typical round-trip economy flight is approximately 400kg. The IATA conversion rate for jet fuel to CO2 emissions is 3.16kg of CO2 per kg of jet fuel burned.

• NOx emissions: The amount of NOx emissions from aircraft engines can vary depending on factors such as engine type, altitude, and speed. The ICAO conversion rate for NOx emissions is 1kg of NOx per 2.7kg of burned fuel, but this can vary depending on the specific circumstances of the flight.

It's worth noting that CO2 emissions are the primary focus of emissions reduction efforts in the aviation industry, as they account for the majority of aviation's contribution to climate change. NOx emissions are also a concern, however, as they contribute to local air quality issues around airports.

Wash Calculation

Assuming the A320 flies 3 sectors a day and potentially saves between 17.1kg to 51.3kg JET A per sector by doing aircraft body washes, the total potential annual savings can be calculated as follows:

For a medium dirty aircraft (17.1kg saved per sector):

• Annual fuel savings: 17.1kg x 3 sectors x 365 days = 18,724.5 kg

• Annual CO2 savings: 18,724.5 kg x 3.16 (kg CO2 per kg of jet fuel) = 59,169.42 kg CO2

• Annual cost savings: 18,694.5 kg x (USD 2.70/gallon ÷ 6.7 pounds/kg) = USD 16,852.05

For a heavy dirty aircraft (51.3kg saved per sector):

• Annual fuel savings: 51.3kg x 3 sectors x 365 days = 56,173.5 kg

• Annual CO2 savings: 56,173.5 kg x 3.16 (kg CO2 per kg of jet fuel) = 177,508.26 kg CO2

• Annual cost savings: 56,173.5 kg x (USD 2.70/gallon ÷ 6.7 pounds/kg) = USD 50,556.15

These savings would depend on factors such as the airline's operational profile, aircraft utilization, and fuel prices, but can provide a general estimate of the potential benefits of aircraft body washes.

Engine Wash Calculation

Assuming the A321 saves 39.9 kg to 79.8 kg of JET A per sector, and flies 3 sectors a day, it would save between 119.7 kg to 239.4 kg of JET A per day.

To convert this to CO2 emissions, we can use the IATA conversion rate of 3.16 kg of CO2 per kg of JET A, which means the A321 would save between 378.252 kg to 756.504 kg of CO2 emissions per day.

In a year (assuming 365 days), the A321 would save between 138,061.98 kg to 276,123.96 kg of CO2 emissions.

To calculate the cost savings, assuming a jet fuel price of USD 2.70 per gallon, we need to convert the kg of JET A saved to gallons of JET A saved.

Using a conversion factor of 3.78541 liters per gallon and assuming a density of 0.804 kg per liter for JET A, we get 1 gallon of JET A = 3.044 kg.

Therefore, the A321 would save between 39.3 gallons to 78.6 gallons of JET A per day, which translates to a cost savings of between USD 107.73 to USD 215.46 per day.

In a year (assuming 365 days), the A321 would save between USD 39,321.45 to USD 78,642.90 in fuel costs by doing regular engine washes.

Overall, regular engine washes can provide significant cost savings and CO2 emission reductions for airlines operating A321 aircraft.

Assumptions

D-Ice

Times are in minutes. If Type II/IV is needed 1 minute is added to total. Unfortunately due to the nature of this data, we cannot share a reference.

Available open source references corresponding to our data:

SLC AIRPORT "It’s cool – and best practice – to deice a plane" LINK

EPA "Preliminary Data Summary - Airport Deicing Operations" LINK

Our data

Our data is based on testing and simulations in

• Full scale test facility with capture system and processing plant

• Real world conditions

• Boeing 737-200

• "Digital twin" of robotics system

Wash

Water Usage: Aircraft washing requires a significant amount of water. On average, a narrow-body aircraft requires around 5,000 liters of water, while a wide-body aircraft requires around 20,000 liters of water for a complete wash. However, the actual water usage may vary depending on the type and size of the aircraft, as well as the cleaning method used

• "Water and Chemical Management in Aircraft Washing Operations", International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace, Volume 7, Issue 3, 2020.

• "Aircraft Cleaning and Corrosion Prevention", Federal Aviation Administration, AC 120-85, 2006.

• "Aircraft Maintenance and Cleaning", International Air Transport Association, Environmental Assessment Guidance for Airlines, 2018.

Inspection

Soon