GOOGLE: FLIGHT SEARCH TOOL CAN HELP YOU FLY ‘GREENER’

SILVER SPRING, Md. — Searching for flights on Google just got “greener” as a new search feature rolled out Wednesday tells travelers which flights have lower carbon emissions.

How the search works

A basic search for flights will give an estimate of how many kilograms of carbon dioxide the flight will spew from start to finish. Users can prioritize their search by emissions, much as they can by price, if desired. Flights with emissions below the median are highlighted in green.

How estimates are calculated

Google said the estimates are a combination of data from the European Environmental Agency and flight-specific information it gets from airlines and other providers. That data could include an aircraft’s age, model and configuration; the speed and altitude at which it flies; and the distance between the flight’s origin and destination.

Some flights may not have estimates because of a lack of data on certain aircraft or other missing information, Google said. The company added that the estimates don’t yet take into account what direction the plane is heading — a potentially significant factor if flying into or with the jetstream, or whether the flight is using biofuels or other alternatives.

Why it matters

Airplanes account for a small portion of emissions that cause climate change — about 2% to 3% — but their share has been growing rapidly and is expected to roughly triple by mid-century. The airline trade group Airlines for America says U.S. carriers have more than doubled the fuel efficiency of their fleets since 1978 and plan further reductions in emissions. But the independent International Council on Clean Transportation says passenger traffic is growing nearly four times faster than fuel efficiency, leading to a 33% increase in emissions between 2013 and 2019.

AP FILE