11-May-2026 10:42 AM
T&E: Emissions for flights departing Europe exceed 2019 level in 2025
Transport and Environment (T&E) reported (08-May-2026) the aviation sector produced 195 million tonnes of CO2 emissions for flights departing from Europe in 2025, up 2% from the 2019 level to exceed pre-pandemic levels for the first time. Details include:
- Emissions growth was driven by LCCs. Ryanair's global emissions increased 50% to 16.6 million tonnes, which T&E stated was "the largest increase of any of the top 20 most polluting airlines worldwide";
- Emissions for legacy carriers with large long haul networks recovered more slowly and remain below pre-pandemic levels, due to the slower rebound of intercontinental traffic;
- London-New York was the top route for emissions, with nearly 1.4 million tonnes of CO2. [more - original PR]
Background ✨
Transport & Environment reported European airline emissions in 2024 reached 98% of 2019 levels, with intra-European emissions already above 2019 and LCCs driving growth in market share and emissions.1 It also said London-New York was the highest-emitting route and estimated 70% of aviation CO2 went unpriced in 2024 because EU/UK/Swiss carbon markets largely excluded extra-European flights, urging expansion in the 2026 ETS review.1