Much of the sharp overall rise in Virgin’s emissions was due to the airlines’ rapid growth rate—but that wasn’t the only factor. A study by the International Council on Clean Transportation on the relative fuel efficiency of fifteen U.S. domestic airlines in 2010 found that Virgin America clocked in at ninth place.37 This is quite a feat considering that, unlike its much older competitors, the brand-new airline could have built the best fuel efficiency practices into its operations from day one. Clearly Virgin chose not to.
