CO2 Setback as Emissions on UK-Japan Air Routes Surge by 21%
Skift Take
Average CO2 emissions for flights between the UK and Japan have jumped by more than 21% since 2019. The data - at odds with industry sustainability initiatives - is due to aircraft flying longer and more complex routes.
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Moscow closed its airspace to most Western carriers, leading to increased journey times and fuel burn. This didn’t just affect flights to Russian destinations – it shut off a critically important air corridor linking Europe and the Far East.
Notably, CO2 emissions have increased despite airlines using more fuel-efficient planes. In summer 2019, an average of six nonstop flights a day departed from the UK for Japan. Three of these were older generation aircraft such as the Boeing 777-200ER.
