Italian airline Alitalia has signed a deal with American company GE Aviation to use software designed to reduce the environmental impact of its engines.

GE's system will help Alitalia come up with ways to reduce the amount of fuel the airline uses by as much as three per cent in some cases.

John Gough, leader of GE Aviation's OnPoint Fuel and Carbon Solutions, said: ''Alitalia has a strong focus on the environment and operates very fuel-efficient engines. GE's Fuel & Carbon Solutions will help the airline further reduce the amount of fuel that it burns, which will help reduce its emissions and significantly cut operational costs.''

Alessandro Loddo, Fuel Manager at Alitalia, said: ''The continuous search for fuel consumption efficiency is one of the key points of Alitalia's strategy to offer high-value solutions for shareholders and customers, while at the same time reducing the environmental impact to air transportation.''

Fuel accounts for about 30 per cent of an airline's expenses and with fuel prices so volatile, airlines are constantly seeking ways to become more efficient.

Alitalia is Italy's biggest airline with flights to 79 destinations - 26 in Italy and 53 international. The airline operates 4,500 flights weekly with a fleet of 149 aircraft.