Flight Carbon Calculator
Calculate the CO2 footprint of any flight by route, cabin class, and number of passengers. Includes radiative forcing multiplier and carbon offset cost estimate.
Class Comparison — NYC — London
| Class | CO₂ per Passenger | vs Economy | Multiplier |
|---|---|---|---|
| ★ Economy | 3,342 kg | Baseline | x1.0 |
| Premium Economy | 5,013 kg | +50% | x1.5 |
| Business | 9,692 kg | +190% | x2.9 |
| First | 13,368 kg | +300% | x4.0 |
Key Insights
- Your flight emits 3,342 kg CO₂ total — equivalent to driving 12,208 miles in an average car.
- It would take 159 trees an entire year to absorb your share of these emissions through natural carbon sequestration.
How to Use the Flight Carbon Calculator
- 1
Enter origin and destination
Type the departure and arrival airports or cities. The calculator uses the great-circle distance between them.
- 2
Select cabin class and passengers
Choose economy, business, or first class and enter the number of passengers. Business and first class emit significantly more CO2 per seat due to the larger floor area allocated.
- 3
Choose radiative forcing option
Toggle radiative forcing (RF) to account for the warming effect of contrails and high-altitude emissions, which roughly doubles the climate impact of aviation.
- 4
View emissions and offset cost
See total CO2e, emissions per passenger, equivalent car miles, and the estimated cost to offset via verified carbon credits.
Key Features
Cabin Class Accuracy
Correctly accounts for the larger seat footprint in business and first class, which produces 2-4x more emissions per passenger than economy.
Radiative Forcing
Includes an optional RF multiplier to capture the full climate impact of high-altitude aviation emissions beyond CO2 alone.
Offset Cost Estimate
Calculates a realistic carbon offset cost based on current verified carbon credit market prices to help you neutralise your flight emissions.
Pro Tips
Enable the radiative forcing multiplier for a more complete picture - aviation's total climate impact is roughly 2x the CO2 figure alone due to contrails and other effects.
A single long-haul return flight can equal several months of driving. Combining trips to reduce flight frequency is more effective than offsetting.
Business class emits roughly 3x more CO2 per passenger than economy on the same flight due to the larger seat footprint allocated per person.
Privacy Note
All calculations run entirely in your browser — no data is sent to any server. Your inputs are never logged, stored, or shared. This tool is completely free with no account or registration required.
Frequently Asked Questions
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