Is Going on My Annual Holiday to Spain Really That Bad for the Environment?

Every summer, millions of us pack our bags, grab our passports, and head off on that sacred annual holiday — for many Brits, that means Spain. But with the growing conversation around climate change and carbon footprints, there's a creeping sense of guilt. Is hopping on a flight for a week of sun really that harmful? Should we be ashamed of it?

Let’s take a step back and look at the numbers. While we do that, why don't you grab yourself a nice coffee? My favourite at the moment is Concorde Cappuccino!

The Carbon Footprint of a Flight

Let’s say you're flying from London to Malaga — a common short-haul route. A typical Airbus A320/321, which carries around 180–235 passengers, burns roughly 5,000 kilograms of fuel on that journey.

At first glance, that sounds like a lot. And it is. But now consider that fuel is being used to transport all 235 people — not just you.

So, per person, that’s about 21kg of fuel burned for the one-way trip. Multiply by two for return flights, and each passenger is responsible for roughly 42kg of fuel burned.

What If Everyone Drove Instead?

Let’s do a comparison. If those same 235 holidaymakers decided to drive from the UK to Spain instead, how would it stack up?

• The driving distance from London to Malaga is around 2,100 km one way.

• Let’s assume an average modern car does 50 miles per gallon (mpg), or about 5.6 litres per 100 km.

• Each car would use about 117 litres of fuel for the round trip (4,200 km).

• If we assume each car carries 2 people on average, we’d need about 118 cars to move 235 people.

• 118 cars × 117 litres = 13,806 litres of fuel burned.

That’s nearly 3 times more fuel than the plane. (I understand more people might share a car and we use Kilograms for the fuel burnt flying and litres with a car, but its close enough.. you get my point)

Even with carpooling or electric vehicles in the mix, the overall efficiency of a fully loaded commercial aircraft is surprisingly high.

Planes Are Still Polluting — But Let’s Be Real

This isn’t to say flying is “eco-friendly” — it isn’t. Planes release CO₂ directly into the upper atmosphere, which has a stronger warming effect. But for short-haul flights, especially when the aircraft is full, surely flying can be more fuel-efficient per passenger than driving the same distance alone or in pairs.

And let’s not forget — aviation accounts for just 2.5% of global CO₂ emissions. Compare that to sectors like energy production, agriculture, or fast fashion (contributes to 10%, so just don't buy any holiday clothes), and the picture becomes more nuanced. 

So Should I Cancel My Trip?

Not necessarily. If your once-a-year flight is the biggest thing you're doing for yourself and your family — mentally, emotionally, culturally — and it’s one return short-haul flight, then you’re not the problem.

But we can still be smarter:

• Choose direct flights (takeoff and landing burn more fuel).

• Book with airlines that use newer, more efficient aircraft.

• Offset your carbon emissions (many airlines offer this at checkout).

• Fly economy — the emissions per passenger are far lower than business or first class.

• And maybe skip that second or third city break just because the flights were on sale. But, we also only live once!

Final Boarding Call

So, is your annual trip to Spain really that bad?

In isolation — probably not. Especially if you’re mindful about how you live the rest of the year. If we want to have a genuine impact, we need to look at the full picture, not just scapegoat flying while ignoring everything else.

After all, sometimes a holiday isn’t just a luxury — it’s a lifeline. And there are plenty of ways to enjoy it with a lighter footprint.

You can always get a train, which will only take you around 14 hours to Spain as opposed to a 2 hour flight. At least you'll be able to drink more Jumbo Jet Espresso.

Nathan Raab
Airline Pilot | Better Coffee Advocate | Jet Bean Founder