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Flight Information Calculator

Flight duration, great-circle distance, fuel burn, CO₂ emissions, and time-zone arrival time for any airport-to-airport route worldwide.

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Estimates for Planning Purposes

Distance uses the great-circle (shortest-path) formula; real flight paths follow air traffic routes and jet-stream-adjusted tracks, which run 3–8% longer. Fuel burn and CO₂ use published industry-average figures per aircraft class, not a specific tail number or airline's actual configuration.

Origin Airport (IATA code)

Destination Airport (IATA code)

Aircraft Class

Departure Time (local, 24h)

Jet Fuel Price ($/gallon)

Passenger Load Factor (%) — for per-passenger CO₂

80% full (IATA industry average ≈ 80%)

About the Flight Duration & Fuel Calculator

This free flight time calculator estimates gate-to-gate flight duration, jet fuel consumption, CO₂ emissions per passenger, and local arrival time for any two airports using great-circle (Haversine) navigation math — the same method used to plan the shortest path an aircraft actually flies between two points on the globe. Whether you're asking "how long is my flight from JFK to LHR", estimating a flight carbon footprint calculator result before booking, or working out time zone difference for international flights, this tool gives you a fast, source-cited estimate — no sign-up required.

How flight time is calculated

We first compute the great-circle distance between origin and destination coordinates using the Haversine formula (Sinnott, Sky & Telescope, 1984) — the industry-standard method for shortest-path distance on a sphere. Cruise time is distance divided by the aircraft class's typical cruise speed, then we add a fixed taxi/takeoff/climb and descent/landing/taxi allowance (25–40 minutes depending on aircraft size) to produce an estimated block time — the same metric airlines publish in schedules.

How fuel burn and CO₂ are estimated

Fuel burn multiplies block time by each aircraft class's published average litres-per-hour burn rate. Total CO₂ uses the standard aviation combustion factor of 3.16 kg CO₂ per kg of jet fuel burned (IPCC Guidelines for National GHG Inventories, Vol. 2, Ch. 3 — the same factor referenced by the ICAO Carbon Emissions Calculator Methodology). Per-passenger CO₂ divides total emissions by effective seats (typical seat count × load factor, default 80% — the IATA industry average).

Note on accuracy: Actual flights rarely fly the exact great-circle track — air traffic control routing, jet streams, and weather add 3–8% to real distance. Fuel burn varies by aircraft variant, winds, payload, and airline operating procedures. Use these figures for planning and comparison, not for operational flight planning.

Frequently Asked Questions

How accurate is this flight time calculator?▼

It uses great-circle distance and published average cruise speeds per aircraft class, which typically comes within 5-10% of scheduled block time for direct routes. Real-world flight plans deviate from the great-circle path due to air traffic control routing and jet-stream-optimized tracks, and winds can add or subtract 30+ minutes on long-haul routes.

What is a great-circle distance and why use it for flights?▼

A great-circle route is the shortest path between two points on a sphere, following the arc of a circle whose center is the Earth's center. Because commercial aircraft fly at high altitude with minimal ground obstacles, airlines plan routes close to the great-circle path (adjusted for winds and airspace), making it the standard basis for flight-distance and flight-time estimation.

How is flight CO2 per passenger calculated?▼

Total trip CO2 (fuel burned × 3.16 kg CO2/kg fuel, per IPCC aviation guidelines) is divided by the number of occupied seats (typical seat count × load factor). A higher load factor (more passengers) means lower CO2 per passenger for the same flight — one reason full flights are more carbon-efficient than half-empty ones.

Why does my arrival time show a +1 day offset?▼

Long eastbound flights across many time zones can arrive on the calendar day after departure in local time, even though the flight itself might only be 6-12 hours long. This is normal — for example, a flight departing New York at 9 PM and landing in Dubai after a 12-hour flight lands well into the next local morning due to crossing 9 time zones eastward.

Does this calculator account for daylight saving time?▼

No — it uses each airport's standard UTC offset. Actual local arrival time may shift by one hour if either airport is observing daylight saving time on your travel date. Always confirm exact local times with your airline's official schedule.

How is jet fuel burn rate determined per aircraft class?▼

We use published industry-average hourly fuel burn figures for four aircraft classes — regional jets, narrowbody (737/A320-family), widebody (787/A330-family), and jumbo (747/A380) — based on typical cruise fuel flow reported in airline fuel-efficiency data. Actual burn varies by specific aircraft variant, age, winglet configuration, and payload weight.

Sources & References

Sinnott RW. “Virtues of the Haversine.” Sky and Telescope 68(2):159 (1984).
ICAO. Carbon Emissions Calculator Methodology, Version 12. Montreal: International Civil Aviation Organization; 2018.
IPCC. Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories, Vol. 2, Ch. 3 (Mobile Combustion — Aviation). 2006 (updated 2019).
FAA. Aeronautical Information Manual — climb/descent profile guidance. U.S. Federal Aviation Administration.
IATA. Fact Sheet: Fuel — industry average load factor and fuel-efficiency data. International Air Transport Association.
U.S. EPA / arborday.org — average annual CO₂ absorption per mature tree (≈21 kg/year), used for the tree-offset estimate.