✈️ How Air Travel Emissions Rebounded After the Pandemic

In 2020, the skies emptied.

Airports became eerily quiet, and international terminals — once bustling with millions of travelers — sat still. As the pandemic swept across the globe, strict lockdowns and travel restrictions grounded fleets and brought global air travel to a near standstill. With fewer flights taking off, one significant environmental impact followed: a sharp drop in CO₂ emissions from commercial aviation. Take Egypt as a case in point. Between 2019 and 2020, emissions from air travel in the country more than halved — falling from over 2 million tonnes to just about 1 million. It was a momentary pause in an otherwise upward trend.

But the skies didn’t stay empty for long.

As borders reopened and demand for air travel rebounded, so did emissions. By 2024, Egypt’s aviation emissions had not only returned to pre-pandemic levels — they had more than doubled, reaching a staggering 4.3 million tonnes. And Egypt is far from alone. The map above highlights in red all the countries where CO₂ emissions from domestic and international flights in 2024 exceeded those recorded in 2019.

This surge raises concerns.

Aviation contributes around 2.5% of global CO₂ emissions — a relatively small share, but one with a disproportionately high impact. Flying is one of the most carbon-intensive activities per passenger. And unlike many sectors, aviation doesn’t have quick, scalable fixes. With global demand for flights projected to keep climbing, unchecked growth could seriously undermine progress toward climate targets.

So, what can be done ?

Meeting our climate goals will require a two-pronged approach: innovation and intention. Investment in sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), more efficient aircraft, and alternative transport for short-haul routes is essential. But equally, so is consumer behavior — from choosing direct flights to offsetting carbon footprints.

The pandemic showed us what a dramatic drop in emissions looks like — albeit under dire circumstances. Now, the challenge is to decouple the rebound in travel from a rebound in emissions. Because flying high shouldn't mean emissions have to.