How to make air travel more eco-friendly

Although flying is the fastest way to get from point A to point B, it’s highly energy-intensive and emits polluting fossil fuels into the air. Here are a few things you can do to make your next flight more sustainable.

• Fly economy instead of business class. In business and first class, there’s more space between passengers, which is inefficient. In economy class, more passengers benefit from the same fuel amount, equaling fewer emissions per passenger.

• Choose an eco-friendly airline. Support airlines that take environmentally friendly routes and use new, energy-efficient planes. Budget airlines are also a great option since they offer more economy-class seats, making the best use of aircraft space.

• Take daytime flights. At night, planes’ contrails and cirrus clouds trap heat, causing extra warming. However, they reflect sunlight into space during the day, counteracting the heat-trapping effect.

• Take direct, non-stop flights. Avoiding stopovers can help curb emissions during takeoff and landing.

Finally, fly only when necessary and stay longer. You can also purchase carbon offsets equivalent to how much pollution your flight will produce.