The lower-weight paint system from manufacturer Mankiewicz Aviation Coatings is predicted to enable fuel savings of up to 1,296 tonnes and 4,095* tonnes of CO2e once rolled out fleet wide
So far the new paint has been applied to 38 easyJet aircraft, with the fleet-wide rollout to be implemented gradually and completed by 2030
The lighter-weight paint is one of the many incremental steps easyJet is taking to reduce the weight of its aircraft, which combined with other techniques including fleet renewal, other operational efficiencies and airspace modernisation, will help reduce its operational impact
easyJet is the first airline in the world to trial the new paint solution with Dublin-headquartered MRO specialist, MAAS Aviation, painting the aircraft at its Maastricht facility
easyJet has become the first airline in the world to trial a new state-of-the-art lower-weight paint, which will enable the operator to make further savings on fuel.
easyJet and its partner Mankiewicz Aviation Coatings have developed a new system that reduces the amount of paint previously needed to create the iconic easyJet livery colours. The innovative solution has already been applied to 38 aircraft and will be rolled out gradually to easyJet’s entire fleet, with the airline due to complete the transition by 2030.
While the lighter weight coat generates a relatively modest impact per plane (27kg weight reduction), complemented with other fuel reduction methods and applied to entire fleets, this could provide another important method of reducing carbon emissions for the sector and is one of many initiatives that easyJet is using to effectively reduce emissions and fuel burn.
The 38 easyJet planes that have been coated with the new paint are already delivering fuel savings thanks to their lighter weight and once rolled out to the entire fleet will account for a 1,296 tonne fuel reduction – equivalent to 4,095* tonne reduction of carbon emissions.
Eventually, and complementary to easyJet’s sustainability strategy and roadmap to net zero, the lightweight paint is expected to contribute to an overall saving of 1296 tonnes of fuel per year – once the roll out is completed at the end of 2029.
Lahiru Ranasinghe, Director of Sustainability at easyJet, said: “easyJet is constantly exploring and developing innovative solutions to lower the impact of our operations. While this forms a small part of a bigger strategy, formulating a new lightweight paint with our partners at Mankiewicz Aviation Coatings exemplifies how we’re assessing every single part of our operation to find efficiency gains to help us achieve this mission.”
Andrew Richardson, Aviation Sales Manager at Mankiewicz Aviation Coatings added: "We are pleased to have been easyJet’s chosen coatings partner for the last 15 years and to have worked on this sustainability-driven project. We took the project one step further by optimising the colour formulations in order to minimise the amount of ‘paint film build’ needed to achieve the iconic easyjet livery colours.
"Sustainability and Environmental guardianship are at the heart of Mankiewicz’s core values and being able to work closely with easyJet on this has been very rewarding.”
Richard Marston, Chief Commercial Officer at MAAS Aviation added: “Environmental responsibility is taken extremely seriously throughout our operations at MAAS. We work closely with our supply chain to ensure we use the latest technology products that deliver the highest standards of performance and finish, while reducing the impact on the world around us. We are very proud to be part of such a groundbreaking initiative.”
Since launching its roadmap to net zero two years ago, easyJet continues to work hard to find solutions that will help decarbonise the aviation sector. Recently, the airline has reached various milestones including completing a full rollout of its multi-million-pound tech software installation of Descent Profile Optimisation (DPO) to its fleet and has achieved another record reduction in carbon intensity performance in FY24 versus its net zero baseline year of 2019.
ENDS
For further information, please contact the easyJet Press Office on 01582 525252, log onto www.easyJet.com or follow @easyJet_Press
Notes to editors:
*Based on future full fleet per year for the period of 2029
**Based on predictions for the full financial year of 2024
Predicted fuel and carbon emissions savings:
Based on 1 Aircraft per year (1800 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) – 1296 tonnes of fuel/ 4068 tonnes of CO2
About easyJet
easyJet is Europe’s leading airline offering a unique and winning combination of the best route network connecting Europe's primary airports with great value fares and friendly service.
easyJet flies on more of Europe’s most popular routes than any other airline and carried more than 82 million passengers in 2023 with more than 11.3 million travelling for business. The airline has over 300 aircraft flying on nearly 1000 routes to more than 155 airports across 35 countries. Over 300 million Europeans live within one hour's drive of an easyJet airport.
easyJet aims to be a good corporate citizen, employing people on local contracts in eight countries across Europe in full compliance with national laws and recognising their trade unions. The airline supports several local charities and has a corporate partnership with UNICEF which has raised nearly £17m for the most vulnerable children since it was established in 2012.
In 2022, easyJet published its roadmap to net zero by 2050. The roadmap, which also features a combination of fleet renewal, operational efficiencies, airspace modernisation, Sustainable Aviation Fuel and carbon removal technology, has set an ambitious interim carbon emissions intensity reduction target of 35% by 2035. The airline’s ultimate aim is to fully transition its fleet to zero carbon emission technology, which it will achieve through a number of strategic partnerships including with Airbus, Rolls-Royce and GKN Aerospace Solutions. Since 2000, the airline has successfully reduced its carbon emissions per passenger, per kilometre by one-third.
Innovation is in easyJet’s DNA – since launching nearly 30 years ago, easyJet changed the way people fly to the present day where the airline leads the industry in digital and operational innovations to make travel easier and more affordable for its passengers.
In 2023 easyJet was named by TIME as one of the World’s Best Companies and a Leader in Diversity 2024 by The Financial Times.
About Mankiewicz Aviation Coatings
It's been over 125 years since the family-owned company began producing high-quality industrial coatings. Today, Mankiewicz is one of the world's most successful global coatings manufacturers, with 16 facilities across the globe - all driven by the desire to combine innovative technologies, customized products and efficient coating processes. The Mankiewicz FST cabin coatings are approved by all major OEMs and BFEs. In exterior coatings, Mankiewicz pioneered the revolutionary BaseCoat/ClearCoat system that takes gloss and durability to the next level while being more environmentally friendly. In close cooperation with its customers, Mankiewicz constantly develops new coating solutions, such as the new ALEXIT WingFlex product for wings, to improve aircraft efficiency and appearance.
About MAAS Aviation
MAAS Aviation is a world-renowned aircraft painting and exterior coatings specialist. It provides services for OEMs, airlines, leasing companies and MRO operators from thirteen state-of-the-art paint shops for narrow-body and regional aircraft, capable of handling up to 580 aircraft per year. The Company’s facilities - located in the Netherlands, Germany, Lithuania, and the USA – are certified to EN/AS9100 and ISO9001 quality standards and operate environmental management systems certified to ISO14001. Visit www.maasaviation.com
