Free flight carbon calculator. Estimate CO₂ emissions from air travel based on distance, cabin class, and aircraft type. Compare with car and train alternatives. Includes radiative forcing for total climate impact.
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Air travel is one of the most carbon-intensive activities. Our flight emissions calculator helps you understand the true climate impact of your flights, including often-overlooked non-CO₂ effects like contrails and high-altitude emissions. Compare with alternative transport and make informed travel decisions.
Flight CO₂ is calculated using emission factors based on aircraft type, distance, and cabin class. Short-haul flights have higher per-km emissions due to fuel-intensive takeoffs and landings. Business and first class have larger footprints because passengers occupy more space per seat. The radiative forcing index (RFI) captures aviation's full climate impact—about 1.9x direct CO₂.
Flight Emissions Formula
CO₂e = Distance × Emission Factor × Cabin Multiplier × RFIA single long-haul flight can exceed your entire year's sustainable carbon budget. Understanding this helps prioritize reductions.
For medium distances, trains produce 75-90% less CO₂. This calculator shows when ground transport makes climate sense.
Business class produces nearly 3x the emissions of economy. Knowing this helps make informed booking decisions.
Calculate exactly how much CO₂ to offset if you must fly. Quality offsets require knowing your actual emissions.
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Business class seats take up about 3x more floor space than economy seats. Since aircraft emissions are divided among passengers by space occupied, business class passengers are responsible for roughly 3x the emissions. First class is even higher at about 4x economy.