Flight, Domestic, average passenger, to/from UK (with RF), United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (GB)

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Background of emission factor

The emission factor for domestic flights is calculated per passenger, based on the distance traveled (passenger-kilometers). Since aircraft use the most fuel during takeoff and landing, domestic flights tend to have a higher emission factor than long-haul flights. However, long-haul flights still produce more total emissions due to their length. When calculating emissions from air travel, it’s important to use a factor that includes radiative forcing. Radiative forcing increases the emission factor, but it is more accurate as it takes into account the fact that aircraft produce emissions higher up in the atmosphere, where their warming effect is greater than at ground level.

Emission factor category

Air travel is the mode of travel with the highest emissions. The emission factor for air travel shows how much emissions are caused by flights. The emission factor can be expressed for each trip (kg/trip) or based on the emissions per kilometer or passenger-kilometer (hkm) in g/km. The emission factor for a short flight is higher than for a long-distance flight because the aircraft consumes more fuel during take-off and landing than after reaching the full altitude. However, a long flight does produce more emissions than a short flight. When calculating emissions from air travel, it is important to use an emission factor that includes radiative forcing (RF). Radiative forcing accounts for the fact that aviation emissions are released higher up in the atmosphere.