My understanding is that airlines like to load their planes such that the CG is such that the tail contributes basically no lift, to minimise drag and fuel cons

My understanding is that airlines like to load their planes such that the CG is such that the tail contributes basically no lift, to minimise drag and fuel consumption. See also: https://aviation.stackexchange.com/questions/34963/is-a380s-center-of-gravity-really-too-far-back/ https://aviation.stackexchange.com/questions/34963/is-a380s-... https://aviation.stackexchange.com/questions/30400/will-optimising-the-weight-distribution-of-a-commercial-flight-save-fuel https://aviation.stackexchange.com/questions/30400/will-opti...