Ukraine War Increases Global Aviation CO2 Emissions

Rerouted flights due to closed airspace over Ukraine and Russia have led to longer routes, higher fuel consumption, and a measurable rise in aviation emissions.

• Approximately 1,100 daily flights have been rerouted since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, avoiding airspace over Ukraine and Russia.
• The rerouting contributed an additional 8.2 million tons of CO2 emissions in 2023, representing a 1% increase in global aviation emissions.
• Flights between Europe and Asia saw the largest impact, with fuel consumption rising by 14.8% on affected routes.
• A notable example includes Lufthansa flights between Tokyo and Frankfurt, which now take up to three hours longer due to detours over the Arctic or through China.
• Similar rerouting for North America-Asia flights increased fuel usage by 9.8%, while conflicts in other regions like Syria and Libya had minimal global impact on emissions.

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