Less Orange, More Green – easyJet’s lighter paint delivers big environmental gains
easyJet has become the first airline in the world to trial a revolutionary lower-weight aircraft paint, which is set to reduce fuel consumption and cut carbon emissions.
This innovative move is great news for UK-based business travellers who rely on easyJet for their domestic and international journeys. Lower fuel usage translates to cost efficiencies, helping to keep fares competitive while reducing the airline’s environmental footprint.
The cutting-edge paint, developed by Mankiewicz Aviation Coatings, requires less material to achieve the same bright and durable finish as traditional coatings. So far, easyJet has applied the new paint to 38 aircraft, with plans to extend the rollout across the entire fleet by 2030. This will lead to an estimated fuel saving of up to 1,296 tonnes annually, reducing carbon emissions by 4,095 tonnes.
Paul Baker, Sales Director of Global Travel Management, commented:
Business travellers are increasingly conscious of the environmental impact of flying. It’s fantastic to see easyJet taking proactive steps to reduce emissions. Innovations like this lighter paint contribute to more sustainable travel options for our customers.
The new paint delivers a weight reduction of approximately 27kg per aircraft. While this might seem modest, when applied across an entire fleet and combined with other fuel-saving initiatives, the cumulative effect is substantial. EasyJet has paired this initiative with fleet renewal, operational efficiencies, and airspace modernisation as part of its broader roadmap to net zero by 2050.
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, expressed his pride in working alongside easyJet on this sustainability initiative:
Sustainability and environmental guardianship are at the heart of Mankiewicz’s core values. Being able to work closely with easyJet has been very rewarding.
The paint application process is handled by MAAS Aviation at its Maastricht facility. Richard Marston, Chief Commercial Officer at MAAS Aviation, highlighted the company’s dedication to environmental responsibility: “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.”
For UK-based business travellers, easyJet’s adoption of sustainable practices ensures that essential business journeys can be completed with lower environmental impact. This initiative is one of many steps easyJet is taking to enhance sustainability while maintaining reliable and cost-effective services for business travellers.
If you would like further information about easyJet’s fares, routes and timetables, please contact your Global Travel Management Account Manager.
