April 24, 2024

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[THE INVESTOR] Korean airlines reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 450,000 tons last year by adding more fuel-efficient planes to their fleets, the Transport Ministry said on Feb. 20.

Korean passenger and cargo carriers have voluntarily participated in a campaign to cut greenhouse gas emissions since 2010. They have made efforts to cut emissions by replacing older passenger jets with more environmental friendly ones and by making cabin service carts and other equipment onboard lighter, the ministry said in a statement.

As a result, they made reductions of greenhouse gas emissions last year equivalent to planting 69 million trees in a plot of land 49 times bigger than the 2.9-square-kilometer Yeouido Island in southwestern Seoul, home to the National Assembly and the country’s leading financial companies. 

The fuel efficiency of their planes improved by an average of 3.8 percent, which is equal to a saving of 140,000 tons of jet fuel last year, the ministry said.

By Song Seung-hyun and newswires (ssh@heraldcorp.com)