Flight explained
How much fuel does an airliner use?
An example of A320 fuel consumption per flight and per hour: how the model, route and load change the figure.
For reference: in the published calculation example of a two-hour Airbus A320 flight, the consumption is 4,750 kg of fuel for the entire flight - an average of about 2.4 tons per hour. This is an example of a specific route, not a constant hourly flow rate of any A320: the figure depends on the model, mass, weather and flight stage.
What determines the fuel consumption of the aircraft
With a conditional fuel density of 0.785 kg / l, such a flow rate per flight is approximately 6,050 liters. Tons and liters cannot be compared without counting the density. The most intensive fuel is consumed at take-off and climb, and at the echelon, the engines work in a more economical mode.
To compare the efficiency, use the cost per passenger and 100 kilometers. With a modern well-loaded aircraft, it can be comparable to an economical car, but the liner carries hundreds of people at a speed of about 850-900 km / h.
The result is influenced by the oncoming wind, weather bypasses, mass, height, temperature, landing expectation and mandatory reserve. The crew receives a fueling calculation before departure and controls the rest of the flight.