Flight Emissions Calculator

Flight Emissions Calculator

Air travel is one of the most carbon-intensive activities most individuals engage in - this calculator estimates CO2 emissions for a flight using a commonly cited average emission factor for commercial passenger aviation.

CO2 = Distance x 0.115 kg CO2/km/passenger x Passengers

Example

A 1,500 km flight with 2 passengers:

Per Passenger = 1,500 x 0.115 = 172.5 kg → Total = 345 kg CO2

What This Simplified Model Doesn't Capture

• Seating class - business and first class allocate more physical space per passenger, meaning a higher emissions share per seat than economy class on the same flight.
• Load factor - a half-empty flight has higher per-passenger emissions than a full one, since the plane's total fuel burn is spread across fewer paying passengers.
• Flight distance effects - short-haul flights have disproportionately higher per-km emissions due to the fixed fuel cost of takeoff and climb, regardless of cruise distance.

This is a simplified average estimate suitable for rough personal carbon footprint tracking, not a precise airline-specific carbon accounting figure.