Insane amount of fuel used for 2.5 hour plane trip revealed

A Boeing 737 pilot has revealed just how much fuel a plane carries on a 2.5 hour flight with the amount leaving many shocked.

If you have ever wondered how much fuel planes carry for a flight, you’re not alone.

An airline pilot said it is one the most common questions she gets asked.

US-based Boeing 737 pilot Morgan, who is known for her flight-related TikToks, explained just how much fuel it takes to go on a 2.5 hour trip from Austin, Texas to San Diego, California.

“Honestly, we almost never take a full tank of (fuel). Instead we just take enough for our flight,” she told shocked viewers in a recent clip.

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US-based pilot, Morgan, revealed one of the most common questions she gets asked is to do with how much fuel a plane carries. Picture: TikTok/almostcaptainmorgan

The Chicago-based pilot, who has clocked almost 14 million views on her clips, said just to do the 1654km flight, they need 14,800 pounds of fuel – that’s equivalent to 6713kg.

Morgan said the reason she calculated the fuel in pounds, is because airlines talk about fuel in terms of weight, not gallons or litres.

“Just cause there is a little weather in the area, dispatch gave us 1700 pounds (771kg) of hold fuel and 1700 pounds of added fuel,” she continued.

The Boeing 737 pilot was getting ready for a 2.5 hour trip from Austin to San Diego. Picture: TikTok/almostcaptainmorgan

To do the 1654km flight, they need 14,800 pounds of fuel and are given 1700 in holding fuel. Picture: TikTok/almostcaptainmorgan

“We also have our 45 minutes of reserve fuel which we never plan on using – all this adds up to 23,000 pounds.”

Morgan said they also do something called “tankering” – when an aircraft deliberately carries excess fuel in order to reduce or eliminate refuelling at its destination.

They are also given 42,000 in reserve fuel but Morgan said they hardly ever use it. Picture: TikTok/almostcaptainmorgan

She said it all adds up to 23000 pounds of fuel. Airlines talk about fuel in terms of weight, not gallons or litres. Picture: TikTok/almostcaptainmorgan

And in this case, Morgan said they will tanker 7000 pounds (3175kg) of fuel, “because it is a little bit cheaper in Austin than in San Diego tonight”.

“So to leave the gate we need 30,200 pounds (13,700) of fuel and we have 30,400 pounds (13,790) on-board,” she added.

“Taking this much fuel allows us to get to our destination safely while also making sure we have enough weight available for all of our passengers.”

To leave the gate, Morgan said they need 30,200 pounds of fuel. Picture: TikTok/almostcaptainmorgan

Morgan also added the maximum fuel is between 43,300 and 48,750 pounds (19,640kg to 22,112kg), depending on conditions and fuel density.

Unsurprisingly, her clip has attracted hundreds of comments from shocked viewers.

“Thousands and thousands of pounds of fuel sounds wild! … but also makes sense lol,” one person commented.

“That sounds like plenty!” a second person wrote.

A third added: “This is something more people need to understand and maybe they will stop complaining about bag weights!”

When one asked how much fuel costs, Morgan responded: “It depends on the airport and any hedging or agreements we have in place there. And I never know the cost of the fuel for the flight – just the quantity.”