| Distance (km) | Emissions class | Example of aircraft type | Cost per LTO1,2 | Cost per pax km2 | Cost per pax2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Short-haul | |||||
| 500 | Low | Bombardier CRJ900 | €134 | €0.37 | €1.88 |
| 500 | High | Embraer 170 | €182 | €0.40 | €2.01 |
| Medium-haul | |||||
| 1,500 | Low | Airbus 320 | €219 | €0.09 | €1.47 |
| 1,500 | High | Boeing 737 | €245 | €0.15 | €2.09 |
| 3,000 | Low | Airbus 320 | €290 | €0.07 | €1.95 |
| 3,000 | High | Boeing 737 | €325 | €0.09 | €2.77 |
| Long-haul | |||||
| 5,000 | Low | Airbus 340 | €665 | €0.04 | €2.25 |
| 5,000 | High | Boeing 777 | €1,104 | €0.05 | €2.54 |
| 15,000 | Low | Airbus 340 | €942 | €0.03 | €3.19 |
| 15,000 | High | Boeing 777 | €1,563 | €0.03 | €3.60 |
| 1 LTO stands for Landing and Take-Off Cycle | |||||
| 2 The values originate from Table 23 of the Handbook on the external costs of transport and are adjusted to 2025 prices according to inflation | |||||
| Source: European Commission (2019), Handbook on the external costs of transport | |||||
8 Cost of emissions
8.1 EUROCONTROL recommended values
The data provided in the following sub-sections show estimations of the cost of CO2 and other aircraft pollutants released by the combustion of aviation fuel. The data in the tables below comes from the EC DG MOVE Handbook on the external costs of transport.[1]
8.1.1 Air pollution
According to the Handbook on the External Costs of Transport, for air pollution costs, the marginal costs are virtually equal to the average costs. This is due to the fact that the dose-response relationships between the emissions of air pollutants and health effects are nearly linear.
8.1.2 Climate change
One of the approaches to monetise the climate change costs is to estimate the CO2 cost avoidance, in compliance with the provisions of Paris Climate Agreement. Table 8.2 provides an estimate of CO2 equivalent cost avoidance for short and medium term.
| Low1 | Medium1 | High1 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Short and medium run (up to 2030) | €80 | €133 | €250 |
| Long run (from 2040 to 2060) | €207 | €357 | €660 |
| 1 The values originate from Table 82 of the Handbook on the external costs of transport and are adjusted from 2016 to 2025 prices according to inflation | |||
| Source: European Commission (2019), Handbook on the external costs of transport | |||
8.1.3 Other possible values
The well-to-tank eemission costs represent the costs linked to the production of all different types of energy sources, which leads to emissions and other externalities. It includes the extraction of energy, processing, transport, and transmission, building of energy plants, etc.
Table 8.3 presents the estimated cost of well-to-tank emissions from aviation for 33 EU airports selected for the analysis, as well as its estimated split per passenger km and per passenger.
| Total cost (bn €)1 | €-cents per pkm1 | €-cents per pax1 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Short-haul (< 1,500 km) | €1.3 | €1.4 | €773 |
| Medium-haul (1,500 km > 5,000 km) | €2.8 | €0.9 | €1,691 |
| Long-haul (> 5,000 km) | €7.7 | €1.2 | €9,477 |
| 1 The values originate from Table 51 of the Handbook on the external costs of carbon and are adjusted from 2016 to 2025 prices according to inflation | |||
| Source: European Commission (2019), Handbook on the external costs of transport | |||
Table 8.4 presents the damage cost factors used for calculation of the emissions impacts on health and other effects. The prices are expressed in euros per kg of emission and covers all modes of transport except maritime.
| NOx1 | NMVOC1 | SO21 | PM2.5 (exhaust)1 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EU27+UK | €14.4 | €1.6 | €14.4 | €25.7 |
| 1 The values originate from Table 49 of the Handbook on the external costs of carbon and are adjusted from 2016 to 2025 prices according to inflation | ||||
| Source: European Commission (2019), Handbook on the external costs of transport | ||||
8.2 Further reading
Below are listed some sources that may be interesting to consult in the frame of this topic:
8.3 When to use the input?
This input is recommended for use in assessments focusing on the wider cost/impact of the emissions released in aviation.
8.5 References
[1]
European Commission DG MOVE, “Handbook on the external costs of transport,” 2019 [Online]. Available: https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/9781f65f-8448-11ea-bf12-01aa75ed71a1
[2]
EASA, “European Aviation Environmental Report 2025,” Jan. 2025 [Online]. Available: https://www.eurocontrol.int/publication/european-aviation-environmental-report-2025
[3]
European Commission, “European Commission Climate Action.” [Online]. Available: https://ec.europa.eu/clima/policies/ets/auctioning_en
[4]
DEFRA, Air quality damage cost update 2025. 2025 [Online]. Available: https://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/assets/documents/reports/cat05/2512151700_Damage_cost_update_2025_Defra_FINAL.pdf