GOL and TAP Air Portugal Lead the Way as First Users of IATA’s FuelIS Platform

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has announced a significant milestone in aviation’s drive toward sustainability and efficiency. GOL Linhas Aéreas of Brazil and TAP Air Portugal have become the first airlines globally to implement IATA FuelIS—an advanced data analytics solution aimed at optimizing fuel efficiency and reducing both costs and carbon emissions.

This groundbreaking adoption aligns with IATA’s 2050 net-zero emissions roadmap, which identifies operational efficiency and technological innovation as key drivers—expected to contribute around 10% to the industry’s total emissions reduction over the next quarter-century.

Fuel: A Strategic Cost and Environmental Focus

Fuel is not only a primary operational expense—accounting for roughly 25–30% of an airline’s cost base depending on global oil prices—but it is also the largest source of aviation-related carbon emissions. As the industry intensifies efforts to decarbonize, fuel management is becoming even more critical, not just from a cost perspective but as a climate imperative.

“Fuel management is key for airlines,” said Nick Careen, IATA’s Senior Vice President for Operations, Safety, and Security. “As airlines decarbonize, tracking and managing carbon costs—directly related to fuel consumption—will be a growing priority. FuelIS enables airlines to compare their fuel performance against industry peers and uncover operational efficiencies that drive both cost savings and environmental benefits.”

What Is FuelIS?

IATA FuelIS (Fuel Intelligence System) is an analytics platform that offers airlines a unique opportunity to benchmark their fuel performance based on real-world, flight-specific operational data. It draws from IATA’s Global Aviation Data Management (GADM) system, which includes detailed flight data through the Flight Data eXchange (FDX) program.

With more than 220 contributing airlines and over 8 million flights recorded annually, the database enables granular comparisons by aircraft model, engine type, route structure, geographic region, and more. This real-world benchmarking helps airlines identify gaps and opportunities in fuel efficiency and route planning.

FuelIS works in tandem with IATA’s established Fuel Efficiency Gap Analysis (FEGA) methodology, allowing carriers to develop, implement, and track strategic improvements in fuel use and emissions management.

A Legacy of Impact

Since launching its fuel efficiency initiatives in 2005, IATA has helped airlines collectively identify an estimated 4.76 million tonnes of fuel savings per year—translating into approximately $3.8 billion in annual cost reductions and substantial emissions cuts.

FuelIS builds on that legacy by giving airline operators real-time access to customized data, equipping them to make decisions that improve fuel burn, streamline flight operations, and adapt more swiftly to volatile market conditions.

Why TAP and GOL Are First Movers

TAP Air Portugal and GOL are no strangers to innovation and sustainability. Both airlines have made significant commitments to fleet renewal, operational optimization, and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) integration.

For TAP Air Portugal, the adoption of FuelIS is part of a broader strategy to modernize its fleet and transition towards low-carbon operations. CEO Luís Rodrigues emphasized the dual impact of FuelIS: “Fuel is a major cost driver for TAP Air Portugal. Managing consumption is an important priority for its cost implications and its contribution to decarbonization. Every kilogram of fuel saved counts. The insights FuelIS provides help us measure the impact of our fleet modernization and our long-term transition to SAF.”

GOL’s Chief Operating Officer, Albert Pérez, highlighted the platform’s value as a competitive differentiator. “Fuel is a significant cost factor for all companies, and managing how we use it is always important and can be a significant competitive advantage. With FuelIS, we are equipped with data that helps us make better fuel decisions while benchmarking our progress against the industry. Joining FuelIS is yet another important step in our commitment to continuously improve our operations.”

Aligning With Broader Sustainability Goals

The aviation industry is under growing pressure from regulators, investors, and consumers to demonstrate measurable progress toward sustainability. Initiatives like FuelIS not only help airlines lower emissions and reduce costs—they also support compliance with evolving emissions reporting standards and ESG frameworks.

The use of fuel efficiency analytics is also aligned with IATA’s wider decarbonization goals, including the widespread adoption of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), advancements in electric and hydrogen propulsion, and future air traffic management improvements.

Looking Ahead

With the onboarding of GOL and TAP Air Portugal, IATA is now actively encouraging more airlines to join the FuelIS platform. The organization aims to use the rich dataset gathered through FDX and GADM to develop even more sophisticated tools for fleet management, emissions forecasting, and performance benchmarking.

As more carriers embrace digital transformation and sustainability-focused operations, platforms like FuelIS are expected to become standard tools for airline management, sustainability teams, and operational planners.