Qatar Airways named most emission-efficient large carrier

• Lowest CO2 per passenger of top 10
• Fleet and seat choices impact efficiency
• Emirates placed fifth in listing

Qatar Airways has emerged as the most emissions-efficient airline among the world’s largest carriers in a new industry ranking.

Its top ranking is based on a per-available seat kilometre (ASK) – a standard airline industry measure of capacity, calculated by multiplying the number of seats on a flight by the distance flown.

On this basis, emissions or costs are assessed per seat over distance, allowing comparisons between airlines regardless of aircraft size or route length.

The Doha-based airline produces about 60.05 grams of CO2 per passenger kilometre, the lowest among the top 10 carriers by seat capacity, according to Cirium’s 2025 EmeraldSky Annual Review, a metric that reflects both aircraft efficiency and route structure.

Qatar Airways’ operating model is central to that performance. The airline’s average flight length exceeds 4,200km, among the highest globally, while its fleet, averaging just over a decade in age, supports lower fuel burn across long-haul routes.

“Airline emissions performance comes down to decisions airlines can control: fleet choices, seat configuration and how aircraft are deployed on routes,” said Jeremy Bowen, CEO of Cirium, an aviation analytics company. 

“The airlines at the top of these rankings have got those fundamentals right, and it shows. Better emissions efficiency and lower fuel bills go hand in hand.”

The airline’s strategy has focused on small gains through fleet renewal, operational changes and alternative fuels. Investments in aircraft such as the Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 underpin efficiency, while more than 80 fuel-saving initiatives, including route optimisation and weight reduction, aim to cut consumption. 

Qatar Airways, which has subscribed to a global industry goal of reaching net zero by 2050, is also expanding its use of sustainable aviation fuel, targeting about 10 percent of total supply by the end of this decade, alongside carbon offset programmes for passengers and cargo.

However, despite leading on emissions per seat, CO2 intensity rose slightly by 0.3 percent year-on-year, while total passenger emissions increased by 0.4 percent, as capacity growth offset improvements, according to the Cirium data.

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Dubai-based Emirates Airline was placed fifth among the world’s largest airlines, recording 67.97 grams of CO2 per ASK, an increase of 1.4 percent year-on-year. The state-backed carrier flies the farthest among its global peers, with an average of 4,902 kilometres and an average fleet age of just over 11 years.

Gulf airlines, however, lag behind their global rivals when it comes to ranking overall emissions efficiency for airlines of all sizes, with only Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways just creeping into the top 20, according to the data. It recorded carbon emissions of 58.78 grams of CO2 per passenger kilometre.

Singapore’s low-cost carrier Scoot took top spot, with 51 grams of CO2.