Though the two transatlantic rivals may be bitterly fighting for the rights to a U.S. government contract, Boeing and Airbus do see eye-to-eye on one critical issue: cutting the carbon dioxide emissions from their planes. Both companies are aggressively working towards developing more fuel-efficient planes to add to their fleets, according to a report by the Telegraph Newspaper. The article acknowledges that the airline industry is the “whipping boy” of environmentalists - despite the fact that aviation-based CO2 emissions are a mere one-sixth of auto emissions - and Boeing and Airbus don’t want to take it any longer.

This June, Boeing will be showing off its new 787 Dreamliner plane. The Dreamliner will be 20 percent more fuel efficient than the majority of airplanes, and is designed in part to increase the number of direct flights between mid-sized cities. The idea here is that reduced layovers will mean fewer take-offs and landings, both of which use more fuel than when the plane is airborne. Airbus has its own plane in the works, though that isn’t expected to be on the market until 2013, a full five years after Boeing’s rival model flies.

And with the rising cost of oil, using less jet fuel saves these two companies some serious green. Now if only the auto companies would follow suit…