WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF A 2 HOURS FLIGHT?
Nowadays, we often fly even to go on holiday to places that can be reached by train. Aviation has become an important pillar of the world economy, but what is the impact of flights on the environment?
Around 3 per cent of global CO2 emissions come from air traffic. Flying produces 285 grams of CO2 per passenger (the average is 88 per flight) per kilometre travelled. In comparison, a car produces 42 per passenger per kilometre. This may seem small in percentage terms, but in absolute terms it is significant, considering that aviation has doubled its CO2 emissions from 1990 to 2019. According to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), it is estimated that aviation will account for one third of all transport-related CO₂ emissions by 2050. This is largely due to the growth in air traffic, which continues to increase year on year.
Most of the air traffic emissions come from long-haul flights, particularly transatlantic flights, which can for example equal the amount of CO2 produced by a few people in an entire year. Another critical issue is noise pollution caused by aircraft, as this heavily influences the quality of life of people living near airports and harms the surrounding ecosystems. Approximately 52 million Europeans live less than 20 kilometres from major airports, exposing themselves to particles that can cause hypertension, diabetes and dementia
To reduce the carbon footprint of air travel, we should limit the use of planes, especially short-haul ones, in favour of more sustainable alternatives. Flying should be treated as an exception rather than the norm. In this spirit, the French government has abolished certain national flights when an alternative train journey of no more than two hours is available. This is a great start, even if the reduction in emissions remains low (0.02% of French air transport emissions).
In addition, lightweight luggage helps to reduce CO2 emissions. This is because the heavier the aircraft, the more fuel it consumes. For the same reason, travelling in economy also helps the environment, as there is less space occupied by the seats and therefore less weight. As always even if in our little we can still do something!
