How feedback saved Virgin Atlantic Airlines $5.37 million dollars, 21.5 million kg in CO2 emissions, and made their pilots happier

Airline fuel consumption is costly for both the environment and airlines. Reducing fuel consumption would be a win-win for both. Economists paired with Virgin Atlantic Airways and applied a behavioral approach to see if they could incentivize pilots to use less fuel. As pilots have a degree of discretion over the amount of fuel used, the study looked at how increasing information about fuel consumption, setting personal goals to lower it, and making fuel-saving part of the greater good affected fuel usage. This behavioral intervention was highly effective, resulting in $5.37 million dollars saved and 21.5 million kg less CO2 emissions.