Flight Carbon Footprint Calculator
Calculate the greenhouse gas emissions from air travel. Adjust distance, trip type, seat class, and radiative forcing to understand your impact.
Use a flight distance calculator or airline itinerary for accuracy.
Standard seating with highest occupancy efficiency.
Accounts for non-CO₂ warming effects (contrails, NOₓ). DEFRA recommends 1.9.
Per passenger emissions
655.5 kg CO₂e
Includes radiative forcing to reflect full climate impact.
Total trip emissions
655.5 kg CO₂e
Multiply by passengers to plan offset purchases.
Adjusted distance
3,000 km
One-way distance × number of legs.
Trees to offset
31.21 trees
Assuming each tree sequesters 21 kg CO₂ per year.
How to Use This Calculator
Input your flight distance
Use the great-circle distance or actual flight itinerary to determine the kilometers traveled.
Select trip type and seat class
Choose whether the ticket is one-way or round-trip and the cabin you’ll fly.
Adjust radiative forcing if needed
The default multiplier (1.9) captures high-altitude warming beyond CO₂; adjust for conservative or optimistic scenarios.
Formula
Emissionsper passenger = Distance × Legs × Seat Factor × Radiative Forcing
Total Emissions = Emissionsper passenger × Passengers
Example: 1500 km flight, round-trip, business class → 1500 × 2 × 0.177 × 1.9 = 1,007 kg CO₂e per passenger.
Seat factors incorporate aircraft efficiency and cabin layout from UK BEIS/DEFRA methodology.
About the Flight Carbon Footprint Calculator
Air travel is one of the fastest-growing sources of personal carbon emissions. This calculator follows widely accepted aviation emissions methodology so travelers and businesses can quantify their impact and plan mitigation strategies.
When to Use This Calculator
- Trip planning: Compare the impact of different itineraries or cabin upgrades.
- Corporate travel management: Aggregate employee travel emissions for ESG reports.
- Offset purchases: Determine how many carbon credits you need to neutralize a flight.
- Climate education: Demonstrate the scale of aviation emissions in workshops or classrooms.
Why Use Our Calculator?
- ✅ Up-to-date factors: Uses DEFRA 2024 emission intensities for each cabin class.
- ✅ Radiative forcing included: Accounts for non-CO₂ warming effects at altitude.
- ✅ Flexible inputs: Works for solo travelers or group bookings.
- ✅ Clear guidance: Explains methodology and assumptions to ensure transparency.
Common Applications
Frequent flyers: Track annual aviation footprint and target reductions.
Event organizers: Estimate attendee travel emissions for conferences.
Universities: Report study-abroad flight impacts and promote sustainable travel policies.
Tips for Best Results
- Use actual flight paths when layovers significantly increase total distance.
- Choose economy seating or direct flights to reduce emissions per passenger.
- Consider sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) programs to offset part of your footprint.
- Track flights over time to benchmark progress against reduction goals.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do short flights have higher emissions per kilometer?
Yes. Takeoff and landing are energy-intensive, so short-haul flights emit more per kilometer than long-haul flights. This calculator uses average factors that balance both regimes.
Why include radiative forcing?
CO₂ accounts for only part of aviation’s climate impact. Contrails and nitrogen oxides amplify warming. Applying a multiplier provides a more realistic climate footprint.
How can airlines reduce passenger emissions?
Efficiency improvements, higher occupancy, sustainable aviation fuel blends, and investing in next-generation aircraft all help lower emissions per passenger-kilometer.
Does upgrading my seat always increase my footprint?
Yes. Premium cabins occupy more space and reduce seat density, which increases the emissions attributed to each passenger even though the plane still burns the same fuel.