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Pick your route and class to see the CO₂ of your flight per passenger, including the warming effect at altitude, and the trees that would balance it.
Free to use · nothing is stored · sources for every factor
Choose airports or enter the one-way distance.
An estimate for awareness, not an audited figure.
Quick answer
It depends on distance and class. Using UK DESNZ 2025 factors with radiative forcing, economy is about 0.126 kg CO₂e per passenger-km on short-haul flights (500–3,700 km) and about 0.109 on long-haul international flights; business class is roughly three times economy on long-haul. A Delhi–Mumbai return in economy is about 310 kg CO₂e per passenger.
It takes the great-circle distance between the airports, adds 8% for indirect routes and holding, and multiplies by a factor per passenger-kilometre that depends on distance and cabin class. Factors are the UK DESNZ 2025 business-travel factors with radiative forcing, which accounts for the extra warming from emissions at altitude.
| Distance band | Economy | Premium economy | Business | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 500 km | 0.229 (average passenger) | |||
| 500–3,700 km | 0.126 | 0.126 | 0.189 | 0.189 |
| Over 3,700 km | 0.109 | 0.175 | 0.317 | 0.437 |
kg CO₂e per passenger-km. Premium and first on short-haul use the economy and business factors. These are UK-published averages used as an approximation; real emissions vary by aircraft and how full it is.
Larger seats take up more of the aircraft, so each business or first-class passenger is allocated more of its fuel. On long-haul flights, business class is about three times economy per passenger.
Companies tracking business travel can use the business carbon footprint calculator.
Aircraft emissions at altitude, such as contrails and nitrogen oxides, add warming beyond the CO₂ itself. The DESNZ factors we use include an uplift for this.
Take-off and climb use a lot of fuel, so short flights emit more per kilometre than long ones.
It is an estimate using UK government averages. Aircraft type, seating and how full the flight is all change the real figure.
Per passenger-km, rail emits far less than flying. For trips where a train is practical, it is usually the lower-carbon choice.
The calculator shows the trees whose yearly uptake, once mature, matches the flight, allowing for 85% survival across our programmes.
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