Which cost index to use?

[ArjenVdv 190]

Hi,Since the beginning, I've always been using the Cost Index from the tutorial flight, which is 25. But I would like to do it in the most realistic way as possible. I know cost index is basicly how efficient the plane flies. Low cost index is lower speed and higher efficiency, and high cost index is the other way around.So could someone please tell me cost index exactly is, how to calculate it, and how to get a realistic value. I have TOPCAT but unfortunately it's not giving me the cost index (as far as I know).I appreciate your help!Thanks!

[Paul Deemer 13]

Wow Arjen you must not pay attention to the forums much. This been posted quite a few times already.

[ArjenVdv 190]

Wow Arjen you must not pay attention to the forums much. This been posted quite a few times already.

Can't remember having seen a similar topic ever before...

[Paul Deemer 13]

Air Baltic•28•B757 CI: 50Air Berlin•30Air Canada•B767s :100Air France•Short/medium haul flight : 35•La Navette (France) : 250•Longhaul : 45•Delayed shorthaul : 250•Delayed longhaul : 135Air Malta•B737 CI: 25Air New Zealand•B767: 45Austrian•35British AirwaysAirbus Fleet:•A319/A320/A321◦Climb at: Cost Index 0◦Cruise at Cost Index 20Boeing Fleet:•Boeing 737-300/400 and 500 Series◦Climb at: Cost Index 0◦Cruise at Cost Index 28•Boeing 747-400◦Climb at: Cost Index 0◦Cruise at Cost Index 90Cost Index 0 (Sometimes used on East Coast USA to UK Flights and less often on UK to Singapore/Bangkok flights)•Boeing 757-200 and Boeing 767-300◦Climb at: Cost Index 0◦Cruise at Cost Index 40•Boeing 777-200◦Climb at: Cost Index 0◦Cruise at Cost Index 100Cost Index 0 (Sometimes used on East Coast USA to UK Flights)British Midland•40Cathay•B744 CI:80China Airlines•85 (Nur B747)Condor•Boeing 767-300ER: 30•Boeing 757: 18EasyJet•Airbus A319 Cost Index: 12•Airbus A320 Cost Index: 12•Airbus A321 Cost Index: 23EL AL•737's: 15-30•747's: 39(short/mid haul- Europe)757's: 20-40•767's: 30-45(30-40 for Europe, 40-45 long haul)•777's: 71(long haul, ex KLAX)Emirates•Airbus A330-200 Cost Index: 25FlyGlobespan•Boeing 737-700 Cost Index: 14•Boeing 737-800 Cost Index: 13FlyNiki•35Hamburg International•Airbus A319: 40•Boeing 737-700: 30KLM•F70/100 Climb/Cruise : 30/15•737 Climb/Cruise : 30/15•A330 Climb/Cruise/Descend : 60/150(300)/30•MD11 Climb/Cruise/Descend : 50/100/20•777 Climb/Cruise/Descend : 50/100/20•747 Climb/Cruise/Descend : 150/300/50Lufthansa•Airbusse: 30•Boeing 747-400: 70•Airbus A300-600: 35•Boeing 737-300: 25Lufthansa Cargo•80Luxair•50Nordavia•Boeing 737-500 CI-27NordStar Airlines (??????)•B737 NG: CI 30Qantas•B744 CI: 100•Cost Index 40 for domestic flights•Cost Index 20 for most International plans, however they may be planned up to CI250 to meet schedule/duty limitsRyanair•Boeing 737-800 Cost Index: 30S7•30SAS•45-50Singapore Airlines•B747/B777 CI:150Skyexpress Russia•B737CL◦?????????? = 28◦????????????? = 32South African•50Southwest Airlines•737-300/500 CI:28•737-700 CI:36Swiss Airlines•A32S:◦FL290 and below: CI 10◦above FL290: CI 20•A330-200 and A340-300:◦LRC: CI 30◦M.082 Cruise: CI 30 for Climb/Descend and Cruise up to FL280, above M.082 manually edited◦M.083 Cruise: CI 150 for Climb/Descend and Cruise up to FL290, above above M.083 manually editedThomson Airways•Airbus A320 Cost Index: 13•Airbus A321 Cost Index: 17•Boeing 737-300 Cost Index: 10•Boeing 737-800 Cost Index: 9•Boeing 757-200 Cos Index: 10•Boeing 767-300•Long Haul Cost Index: 19•Short Haul Cost Index: 11Ukraine International Airlines•cost index: 14•B737 Classic: 19-20•B737 NG: 28United Airlines•Flight with duration < 4 Hours:◦A319 and A320 = Cost Index 27◦B737-300 and B737-500 = Cost Index 35◦B747-400 = Cost Index 90◦B757-200 = Cost Index 80◦B767-300 = Cost Index 65◦B777-200 = Cost Index 85•Flights with duration > 4 Hours:◦A319 and A320 = Cost Index 22◦B737-300 and B737-500 = Cost Index 30◦B747-400 = Cost Index 85◦B757-200 = Cost Index 75◦B767-300 = Cost Index 60◦B777-200 = Cost Index 80Virgin Atlantic•A340-300 CI = 30•A340-600 CI = 40•B747-400 CI = 73 - 93•B747 :150Westjet•B737NG :20-25

[KriVa 307]

This is just one of the many topics in this subforum alone about CI:http://forum.avsim.net/topic/354785-cost-index/page__p__2175391__hl__cost%20index__fromsearch__1#entry2175391

[japascoe 98]

Cost index is basically a measure of whether fuel or time is more important. If you want to go fast to save time (and time = money) you enter a high cost index, if you want to go slow to save fuel you enter a low cost index.To calculate the 'right' cost index you need to know how much the aircraft costs to operate per hour and how much fuel costs per lb.If you fly too slow (CI too low) the operating cost per hour of the aircraft will cost more than the fuel you save. If you fly too fast (CI too high) the extra fuel you burn will cost more than the time you save (time = money). Somewhere in between there is an optimum, where the flight costs the least amount of money. Unless you enjoy doing mathematical optimisation in your spare time I suggest you pick a number from the list posted above. It's the most realistic thing to do anyway, since in an airline it won't be the pilot that works out the optimum CI.John-Alan Pascoe