How much of a plane ticket is the fuel cost? For example, New York to Paris.

sbradford26 · on Feb 11, 2020

So here are the numbers for New York to Paris. I used a 737 Max 7 for this since the max range is right about the same distance so the math is easy and the 737 Max is a fairly efficient plane but an A321 neo would be similar. Albeit a 737 or A321 neo are not planes that you would fly New York to Paris in.

So it is looking like jet fuel is around $2 a gallon for airlines right now.[1] A 737 Max takes a total of 6,820 gallons.[2] Since the flight from New York to Paris would be almost the max range we can assume all of it would be burned to transport the 172 passengers.

So ($2 * 6820 Gallons) / 172 People = $79 per person in fuel.

[1] https://www.statista.com/statistics/197689/us-airline-fuel-c...

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_737_MAX

chvid · on Feb 11, 2020

Last time I bought a Ryanair ticket I was offered to purchase a co2 emission offset.

The price was less than 1 euro.

Telling me that there better ways to lower co2 emissions than not flying. (Or creating new airplanes.)

chimprich · on Feb 11, 2020

I'm not sure what your point is, but I wouldn't trust Ryanair's suggestion of how much to pay to offset their CO2 emissions, or that they'd use that fee effectively.

chvid · on Feb 11, 2020

It tells you something about how expensive it would be to have someone else save the CO2 you have emitted by flying a plane.

But you are right. The price going to purchase the CO2 offset is probably less than what I would be paying.

throwawayhhakdl · on Feb 11, 2020

I don’t think that was his point. He is saying you can neither assume that this fee is enough to offset the carbon, nor that Ryanair will spend it appropriately. Just because it says carbon offset doesn’t mean all of the carbon is offset.

If the true price were actually that low, it would be easy to solve.