Aviation carbon emissions, route choice and tourist destinations: Are non-stop routes a remedy?

Abstract

Air travel emissions comprise 20% of tourism's global carbon footprint. The purpose of this study was to determine whether non-stop routes to tourist destinations can mitigate air travel carbon emissions relative to routes that connect through airline hubs. Based on International Civil Aviation Organization data, we analyzed carbon emissions for both direct and connecting routes between the ten most populated metropolitan areas located in the Northeastern United States and 13 different tourist destinations located in the Sunbelt and Western regions of the US. Direct routes generally outperformed connecting routes regarding carbon emissions, although there were several exceptions. On average, non-stop routes reduced carbon emissions by roughly 100 kg/person relative to the next best connecting option.