Planes Remain A Problematic Means Of Transport Air traffic represents less than 2-3% of the global CO2 emissions whereas road traffic accounts for around 10% of these direct emissions. Still, planes remain among the most polluting means of transport, together with cars.

On a global scale, cars (and road transport in general) contribute significantly more to total CO2 emissions than planes. Road transport accounts for about 75% of all transport-related emissions, with passenger cars and buses alone contributing around 45%. In contrast, aviation (both domestic and international) accounts for only about 11.6% of transport emissions and roughly 2.5% of total global carbon emissions. However, if you look at the intensity of pollution per passenger, the comparison shifts. For short distances, flying is much more polluting than driving because the takeoff and landing phases require an immense amount of fuel. For very long distances, a full plane can sometimes be more fuel-efficient per person than a single person driving the same distance in a gas-powered car. Additionally, planes emit pollutants at high altitudes, which can have a more potent "radiative forcing" effect on the climate than ground-level emissions.