Short-haul flights (economy): carbon footprint per passenger-km (with RF)

Short-haul covers most European flights from the UK. The official DESNZ 2026 factor for an economy seat, shown live below per passenger-km, includes the government-recommended radiative-forcing multiplier (1.7) for the extra warming effect of emissions at altitude.

Emissions are calculated on the great-circle distance between airports plus an 8% uplift for real-world routing — the method our travel calculator applies automatically. Business class on the same aircraft carries a higher factor because each seat takes more cabin space.

Worked example

London to Barcelona, one way (~1,134 km GCD + 8%): 1,225 × 0.12576 = 154 kgCO2e.

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Frequently asked questions

What counts as a short-haul flight?

In the DESNZ methodology, flights of roughly 460–3,700 km — most of Europe from the UK. Shorter is 'domestic', longer is 'long-haul', each with its own factor.

What is radiative forcing and should I include it?

It captures the additional warming from aviation emissions at altitude (contrails, NOx effects). The UK government recommends including it; DESNZ 2026 applies a 1.7 multiplier, and our calculators use the with-RF factors by default.

Related factors

• Long-haul flights (economy)
• Domestic flights (UK)
• National rail travel