NEED TO KNOW
- GLP-1 weight loss medications could boost savings for air travel, according to a new study by Jefferies
- Lighter loads on planes would mean less fuel and other associated costs, the study found
- American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines — the largest carriers in the country — could save a combined $580 million annually in fuel costs with passengers using GLP-1s
Lighter loads on planes could mean bigger savings for the airline industry, thanks to GLP-1 weight loss medications.
A recent study by Jefferies, an American multinational independent investment bank and financial services company, reported that drugs taken specifically for the intention of shedding pounds could lead to lighter aircrafts, less fuel and more savings.
“It only makes sense that the weight of their passengers also impacts their costs,” Sheila Kahyaoglu, an equity analyst at Jefferies and an author of the study, told the New York Times in an article published Monday, Jan. 19.
Kahyaoglu’s report found that American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines — the largest carriers in the country — could save a combined $580 million annually in fuel costs due to passengers using GLP-1s, per the Times.
GLP-1s in pill form have made the weight loss medications more accessible than shots, added Travel Weekly by Northstar, which reported that in 2018 United Airlines saved $290,000 by using lighter paper in its Hemispheres magazine.
“With the drug now available in pill form and obesity rates falling, broader usage could have further implications for waistlines,” Kahyaoglu said, the Los Angeles Times reported.
If the weight of passengers were to decline by just 10%, as much as 1.5% in fuel costs could be saved, which, in turn, would boost earnings per share by 4%, according to her report.
In a more detailed breakdown of her study, Travel Weekly said the drop would equate to approximately a 3,200 pound reduction in a Boeing 737 Max 8.
To put into perspective the amount of American adults currently using some form of weight loss medication, the New York Times cited research by KFF, a non-profit organization that produces polls.
“About one in eight adults (12%) say that they are currently taking a GLP-1 drug such as Ozempic or Wegovy either to lose weight,” the November 2025 study said, adding that while some included in that number use it to treat a chronic condition, it is an increase from just 18 months ago.
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It has been documented that the smallest changes have seen big results, with the New York Times revisiting a time more than 30 years ago when American Airlines realized that removing just one olive from passengers’ in-flight salads reduced costs by $40,000.
“Airlines have a history of being vigilant around aircraft weight savings, from olives (pitless, of course) to paper stock,” Kahyaoglu’s report said. “Passenger waist lines have thus far been out of their control.”
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