Flying less, mobility practices, and well-being: lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic in Norway

Abstract

This article uses a mixed-methods design to study flight-intensive practices in Norway. It explores how practices changed as a consequence of the travel restrictions implemented to limit the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and the implications for people’s well-being. Norway is one of the European countries where people take the most flights per capita and the expectation is for air traffic to increase by approximately 4% annually from pre-pandemic levels. Notwithstanding the industry’s goal of becoming fossil-free by 2050, the rapid reduction of emissions to keep global warming at 1.5°C below pre-industrial levels is unlikely to happen without restrictions in air travel. The article draws on social practice and well-being perspectives to investigate the possibility of flying less in post-pandemic times. Using survey data and regression analysis, the study analyzes the infrastructures, norms, values, resources, and competencies associated with reductions in pre-pandemic air travel. Engaging in walking and cycling and taking collective transport for short-distance travel were found to correlate with flying less for long distances. In-depth interviews with domestic travelers suggest that flying less for work might be a synergic satisfier as it contributes to more than one human need without hampering any others. This has implications for the well-being of people who engage in flight-intensive practices for work as it will likely be enhanced if work-related travel is significantly reduced when the COVID-19 pandemic is over.