Cirium Highlights Emissions Efficiency
Scoot, the Singapore-based low-cost airline, has been named the most emissions-efficient airline worldwide in Cirium’s 2025 EmeraldSky Annual Review. This review ranks airlines based on CO₂ emissions per available seat kilometre (ASK). Qatar Airways and Ryanair follow closely behind in this ranking.
Qatar Airways, Ryanair, and Turkish Airlines have been recognised as the most efficient global airlines when ranked by available seat kilometres. These airlines excel due to their strategic decisions in fleet choices, seat configuration, and route deployment.
Jeremy Bowen, CEO of Cirium, explained that "Airline emissions performance comes down to decisions airlines can control, such as fleet choices, seat configuration, and how aircraft are deployed on routes." He emphasised the link between better emissions efficiency and lower fuel costs.
Regional Leaders in Emissions Efficiency
Frontier Airlines leads in the Intra-North America region, while Wizz Air dominates in Europe. Virgin Atlantic ranks first for Transatlantic routes, Air Canada leads for Transpacific routes, JetSmart is the leader in Latin America, and VietJet Air excels in Asia.
Scoot's success in achieving its top position is attributed to operating a young fleet with a high seat density, averaging 242 seats per aircraft, and focusing on longer-haul sectors. This strategy has placed Scoot ahead of previous leaders such as Wizz Air.
The report indicates that airlines with newer fleets and higher seat density continue to outperform their peers. Long-haul operators like Virgin Atlantic are closing the emissions efficiency gap by renewing fleets and increasing aircraft capacity.
The EmeraldSky Annual Review evaluates airlines across the top 100 largest airlines globally. The methodology, independently assured by PwC, categorizes airlines into Gold, Silver, and Bronze tiers based on their global emissions performance.
Scoot is the first Southeast Asian carrier to lead the global airline emissions efficiency rankings. Its average fleet age is 6.7 years, and it operates 65,000 flights annually, covering an average distance of 2,157 km per flight.
Wizz Air, based in Hungary, holds the second position with a fleet age of 4.7 years, operating 335,000 flights per year with an average distance of 1,547 km. TUI Airways from the UK, Air Europa from Spain, and Frontier Airlines from the USA complete the top five, all earning Gold status.
Last updated: 15 April 2026, 9:34 pm
