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January 26, 2026 \u2014 1:57pm<\/p>\n
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Remove items from your saved list<\/a> to add more.<\/p>\n Save this article for later<\/p>\n Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime.<\/p>\n Got it<\/p>\n AAA<\/p>\n Airlines may be the surprise beneficiary of the popularity of weight loss drugs such as Wegovy and Mounjaro that could lower airlines\u2019 fuel costs and increase profits.<\/p>\n Analysts from Wall Street investment bank Jefferies have calculated that if weight loss trends continued, a 10 per cent slimmer society could yield an average 4 per cent increase to the earnings per share among major US airlines.<\/p>\n \u201dA slimmer society = lower fuel consumption,\u201d equities analyst Sheila Kahyaoglu wrote. Fuel makes up 20-30 per cent of an airline\u2019s cost, which is reflected in the price of the ticket.<\/p>\n Since 2022, the US adult obesity rate has declined to 37 per cent from around 40 per cent, as GLP-1 appetite and blood sugar regulator drugs reshape the population.<\/p>\n \u201cWith the drug now available in pill form and obesity rates falling, broader usage could have further implications for waistlines,\u201d wrote Kahyaoglu, who noted that until GLP-1, passenger weight had been out of the control of many people.<\/p>\n Looking at airlines American, Delta, United<\/a> and Southwest, her team has calculated that a 10 per cent US slimmer society would comprise a 2 per cent weight savings, which could trim fuel expenses of up to 1.5 per cent. This would add an average of 3.9 per cent in earnings per share across the four airlines.<\/p>\n Aviation company Honeywell estimates that every 450 grams of a plane\u2019s weight, \u201cincluding crew, passengers, baggage and the aircraft itself\u201d, totals up to about $US10,000 ($14,436) in annual fuel costs on commercial aircraft.<\/p>\n Sydney-based Peter Harbison, chairman of GreenerAirlines.com, said that when the GLP-1 drugs were rolled out, there was an expectation once-obese customers could begin to travel, leading to an uptick in demand.<\/p>\n \u201cAirlines had already factored in heavier passenger weight years ago,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Related Article \u201cI think the drug\u2019s impact would be marginal for the weight of aircraft in the short-to-medium term, given there are so many other variables,\u201d Harbison said. \u201cBut if you were getting up to 1 per cent of the cost of the flight, it makes a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n In Australia, only around 32 per cent of the population was obese in 2022, according to the ABS.<\/p>\n The reported use of the drugs in the US is higher as well, rising from 5.8 of US adults in early 2024 to 12.4 per cent today.<\/p>\n As of 2025, only around 2 per cent of Australians take Ozempic<\/a> and similar GLP1 drugs<\/a>, with nearly half of the doses purchased privately.<\/p>\n Swinburne University school of engineering department of aviation\u2019s Salim Hijazeen cautioned that GLP1s could make only a scant difference.<\/p>\n \u201cGenerally, airlines would try and focus on fuel optimisation more than wanting to plan around what the potential health trends of the population are,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s very unlikely that something like this could significantly impact the weight of the aircraft in terms of the passenger weight,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Jefferies\u2019 analyst Kahyaoglu calculated her forecast by combining the weight of 178 passengers aboard a Boeing 737 Max 8, with the individuals\u2019 average pre-Ozempic weight of 180 pounds (81.6 kg). Factoring in the number of people who take Ozempic and its impact, the same passengers were tallied at 178 pounds (80.7 kilos).<\/p>\n The former yielded a maximum take-off weight of 181,200 pounds vs 177,996 pounds – a difference of 3204 pounds.<\/p>\n Related Article Applying a rule of thumb that 1 per cent weight savings equates to 0.75 per cent of fuel efficiency, a 2 per cent improvement in aircraft weight is worth about 4 per cent to earnings per share, Kahyaoglu wrote.<\/p>\n Harbison noted that when Ozempic appeared on the market, there was speculation that newly slimmer people would be emboldened to travel more thanks to the drug\u2019s use.<\/p>\n \u201cThe implication is that presumably even though they\u2019ve lost a bit of weight, they\u2019re still above average, thereby presumably pushing up the average [on planes],\u201d Harbison said.<\/p>\n Qantas declined to comment. Jetstar and Virgin were contacted for comment.<\/p>\n The Business Briefing newsletter delivers major stories, exclusive coverage and expert opinion. Sign up to get it every weekday morning<\/a>.<\/p>\n Save<\/p>\n You have reached your maximum number of saved items.<\/p>\n![\"As](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/2315e0d83d2d76c46b5567a8ca4daac58e3e1888.jpeg\")
As of 2025, only around 2 per cent of Australians take Ozempic.Getty Images<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/070b3771beb0b288a686fb3e5048fcb201f83b137e20bcfa75fa99fac8b0984c.gif\")
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