There is a growing concern about fuel consumption and air pollution of long distant flights. It is believed that they utilize the same amount of fuel a car burns for years. As a result, some argue that the number of non-essential flights, like for a leisure trip, should be reduced. I disagree with this idea, as this approach is impractical and violate people’s free will.
To begin with, there are thousands of planes flying internationally around the globe and distinguishing who is travelling as a tourist and who is on a business trip is nearly impossible. This case cannot be confirmed beforehand either, as many might not be sincere about their purpose of trip, especially if they have to fill a form in advance. For instance, one might be on a business trip in their first flight but after getting his job done, they stay for a longer duration for sightseeing. Therefore, discouraging non-essential flights based on passengers travel purpose seems to be not practical.
Furthermore, passengers should be offered with the opportunity to choose their mode of transportation, particularly because some of them are excessively time consuming. Some transportation modes take longer to reach destinations and sometimes intercontinental travels are not feasible without help of airplanes. For example, an international flight from Istanbul to Vancouver almost takes fifteen hours, which may takes days if one wish to go by train and ship voyage. Many individuals do not have the luxury to spend days on vehicles to arrive to their destinations. Hence, individuals have the right to make the decisions about the way they want to travel.
However, some are concerned about the carbon footprint and air pollution of flights. According to these individuals, CO2 emission by planes has a significant contribution in climate change. When fossil fuels burn, they release various gases, including CO2, which has proven to have a major role in global warming. As a result, many have proposed reducing the number of touristic flights, which is impractical due to reasons mentioned above. Nevertheless, this issue can be mitigated by using a new generation of airplanes, which burn less fuel and are more eco-friendly.
In conclusion, while long distant flights might pose a threat to environment, reduction in flights remains an impractical approach, because differentiating passengers based on their travel target is really challenging and individuals should be able to opt their mode of transport.