All conventional forms of travel - road, rail, air and sea - have an impact on our environment.  At Air Southwest, we recognise the need to minimise this impact - and we recognise the importance of providing you with the information you need to make an informed choice.

CO₂ emissions: Aviation represents a small proportion

The UK generates 2% of global man-made CO₂.

This compares to the US producing 24%, China 14% and Japan 5%.

Just 0.5% of UK CO₂ is produced by domestic aviation.

Not all flying is equal!

Just as with cars, some aircraft are much more fuel efficient than others.  A Smart Car will use a lot less fuel than a large, heavy four wheel drive vehicle for example.

Air Southwest uses a fleet of fuel efficient turbo-prop aircraft that are designed for the short-haul routes that we fly.  They use around 30% less fuel than a similar sized jet aircraft flying the same route.

Full vs half-full

A full aircraft is obviously more fuel efficient per passenger than a half empty aircraft.


Are Planes as good as Trains?

Many people are surprised by the fact that travelling via our turboprop aircraft can be more environmentally friendly than travelling by train! 

Due to their 'walk on' ticketing, train operators find it much harder to match daily demand and passenger numbers, particularly with off peak and rural services.  Trains also often have high load factors at one end of their journey, and very low load factors at the other end.  As a consequence the typical load factor on UK railways is just 30%.  This compares to Air Southwest's typical load factor of 65-70% per plane. 

This is why on a per passenger basis, air travel can in fact often be the most environmentally friendly way to travel.

Don't just take our word for it, the Rail Safety Standards Board, an official rail industry body, said as much in a recent report:

Plane Vs Train Vs Car

Looking at typical figures for a journey between Newquay and Glasgow you can see that travelling with Air Southwest is both more fuel efficient and produces less CO₂ per passenger than travel by train or car.

Based on a Dash 8 with 70% occupancy, Class 221 Voyager train with 30% occupancy, Ford Mondeo 2.0 petrol estate and Smart Four Two 1.0 petrol with one occupant.  Fuel economy and CO₂ data sourced from Bombardier Inc, Rail Safety and Standards Board and Vehicle Certification Agency.

Flying at lower altitudes is much less harmful to the environment.

Air Southwest flies at lower altitudes, reducing the harmful effects of emissions.
The impact of aircraft emissions can be very different depending on where in the atmosphere they take place.  For intercontinental air travel, most of the fuel burn is at high altitude and there is a multiplier effect on the amount of CO₂ produced.   1g of CO₂ produced at high altitude has the same effect as 2.7g produced at sea level.

Our turboprop aircraft typically fly at 14,000ft, well below the height where this multiplier effect occurs.

Air Southwest cares about the natural environment and we work hard to minimise the harmful effects of any of our activity.  We aim to act responsibly in all areas of our business, from flight operations to ground based and office activity.  We operate a range of environmental initiatives, led by our in-house "Green Team".

We are fortunate to be based in the beautiful South West of England and wish to help maintain the wonderful natural environment that surrounds us. 

We encourage you to support the activity of the Silvanus Trust, working through partnerships to regenerate the woodlands in the South West for economic, social and environmental benefits. www.silvanustrust.org.uk

 

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