Flying green: stopover or direct?

By Jonathan Clarke

Flying green: stopover or direct?When given the choice between a stopover or a direct flight, what helps you make the decision? Price? Convenience?

Have you ever stopped to think about which choice is better for the environment, because it can make a real difference.

A direct flight is by far the most eco-friendly way to fly. By including a stopover, you'll be using more fuel. This is because a huge proportion of the fuel costs of a flight are in take-off and landing. Up to 50% of the carbon emissions for a flight are taken up in landing and take-off, depending on the length of the flight.


"Have you ever stopped to think about which choice is better for the environment, because it can make a real difference."

It's not just the extra fuel cost for the plane either. There's all the time that the plane spends waiting and taxiing on the runways. Then there's the extra carbon cost of those trucks that tend to the planes. It all adds up.

The impact is most keenly felt over shorter flights. Breaking up a short flight into two smaller flights is something you should try and avoid if you're trying to stay green, even if it's cheaper to stopover. While you could argue that the flights will be running anyway whether you book or not, if enough people forego stopover flights, it'll make better financial sense for airlines to concentrate on direct routes.

Some longer haul flights will have to schedule stopovers simply because the plane will run out of fuel if not. In these circumstances, you really have no choice but to book a flight with a stop in the middle. However, if you want to stay green, we recommend trying and book direct flights only, even if it costs a little extra. In doing so, you'll be sending a message to the airlines.

Remember to book your airport parking, airport hotels and airport lounges with HolidayExtras.com.

Top tip
Please don't buy products made from endangered or wild animals and plants, including coral, shells, starfish, teeth and animal skins and fur.
makeholidaysgreener.org.uk

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