{
  "slug": "flight-carbon",
  "title": "Flight Carbon Footprint Calculator",
  "heading": "Flight Carbon Footprint Calculator",
  "category": "other",
  "url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/flight-carbon",
  "summary": "CO₂ per passenger and the cost to offset it.",
  "description": "Air travel emits roughly 0.09 kg CO₂ per passenger-kilometre in economy, more in business class. This estimates the footprint and offset price.",
  "formula": "CO₂ = km × factor × class multiplier",
  "dateModified": "2026-09-30",
  "run_url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/api/public/calc?tool=flight-carbon",
  "inputs": [
    {
      "id": "km",
      "label": "Flight distance",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 5000,
      "unit": "km",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "passengers",
      "label": "Passengers",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 1,
      "unit": null,
      "min": 1,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "cls",
      "label": "Cabin class",
      "kind": "select",
      "hint": null,
      "default": "economy",
      "options": [
        {
          "value": "economy",
          "label": "Economy"
        },
        {
          "value": "premium",
          "label": "Premium economy"
        },
        {
          "value": "business",
          "label": "Business"
        },
        {
          "value": "first",
          "label": "First"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "roundTrip",
      "label": "Trip type",
      "kind": "select",
      "hint": null,
      "default": "round",
      "options": [
        {
          "value": "one",
          "label": "One way"
        },
        {
          "value": "round",
          "label": "Round trip"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "offset",
      "label": "Offset price",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 18,
      "unit": "$/tonne",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    }
  ],
  "outputs": [
    {
      "id": "kg",
      "label": "CO₂ emitted (kg)",
      "format": "decimal",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": true
    },
    {
      "id": "tonnes",
      "label": "CO₂ (tonnes)",
      "format": "decimal",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "cost",
      "label": "Offset cost",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "trees",
      "label": "Tree-years to absorb",
      "format": "decimal",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "perPerson",
      "label": "Per passenger (kg)",
      "format": "decimal",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    }
  ],
  "worked_example": {
    "inputs": [
      "Flight distance: 5000 km",
      "Passengers: 1",
      "Cabin class: Economy",
      "Trip type: Round trip",
      "Offset price: 18 $/tonne"
    ],
    "outputs": [
      "CO₂ emitted (kg): 900",
      "CO₂ (tonnes): 0.9",
      "Offset cost: $16.20",
      "Tree-years to absorb: 43",
      "Per passenger (kg): 900"
    ]
  },
  "how_to": {
    "title": "How to use this",
    "steps": [
      "Enter flight distance (km).",
      "Enter passengers.",
      "Enter cabin class.",
      "Enter trip type.",
      "Enter offset price ($/tonne).",
      "Read your co₂ emitted (kg) on the right — it updates as you type.",
      "Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone."
    ]
  },
  "scenarios": [
    {
      "name": "Conservative",
      "description": "Lower-end numbers — what if things land soft?",
      "values": {
        "km": 3000,
        "passengers": 1,
        "cls": "economy",
        "roundTrip": "round",
        "offset": 11
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Typical",
      "description": "Defaults — the most common real-world setup.",
      "values": {
        "km": 5000,
        "passengers": 1,
        "cls": "economy",
        "roundTrip": "round",
        "offset": 18
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Ambitious",
      "description": "Higher-end numbers — what if things really pop?",
      "values": {
        "km": 8000,
        "passengers": 2,
        "cls": "economy",
        "roundTrip": "round",
        "offset": 29
      }
    }
  ],
  "limitations": [
    "Estimates assume standard, average conditions — local rules, pricing, and materials vary.",
    "Results are rounded for readability; add a buffer before ordering, booking, or committing.",
    "Double-check anything with a real cost attached against a local quote."
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "q": "How does the flight carbon footprint calculator work?",
      "a": "Air travel emits roughly 0.09 kg CO₂ per passenger-kilometre in economy, more in business class. This estimates the footprint and offset price. The underlying maths is: CO₂ = km × factor × class multiplier"
    },
    {
      "q": "What do I need to enter?",
      "a": "5 values: flight distance, passengers, cabin class, trip type, and offset price. Each field starts with a sensible default, so you can change one number at a time and watch the result move."
    },
    {
      "q": "What does the co₂ emitted (kg) result mean?",
      "a": "It is returned as a decimal number and updates live as you edit the inputs, so you can compare two or three versions of a scenario in a few seconds."
    },
    {
      "q": "Is this calculator free, and do I need an account?",
      "a": "Yes, it's free, and no account is required. Nothing you type is stored on our servers — the maths runs entirely in your browser."
    },
    {
      "q": "How accurate is the result?",
      "a": "It applies the standard formula exactly, so the arithmetic is precise. Estimates assume standard, average conditions — local rules, pricing, and materials vary."
    },
    {
      "q": "Who is this tool for?",
      "a": "It's built for anyone doing everyday planning maths — a quick estimate that would otherwise need four browser tabs and a calculator app."
    }
  ],
  "related": [],
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "citation": "RevenueLab — Flight Carbon Footprint Calculator (https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/flight-carbon)"
}