London to Phuket vs Rome to Phuket: Does the Departure City Matter?
When planning a holiday in Thailand, travellers often compare flights by price, departure time and journey duration. But there is another question worth asking: how much does the departure airport influence the environmental footprint of the journey?
For this analysis, we examine two European departure markets:
London to Phuket (LON–HKT)
London offers access to an extensive international airline network. Travellers may reach Phuket through major connecting hubs in the Middle East, Asia and elsewhere, depending on the airline and travel dates.
Rome to Phuket (FCO–HKT)
Rome Fiumicino also offers connections to Phuket through international airline hubs. The location of each connecting airport can influence the total distance flown and, consequently, the emissions associated with the journey.
However, geographical distance alone does not determine a flight’s carbon footprint.
A longer itinerary operated with relatively efficient aircraft may sometimes generate lower estimated emissions per passenger than a shorter itinerary using less efficient aircraft.
This is why our comparison focuses on specific flights rather than simply measuring distances between airports.
Comparing Airlines: What Travellers Should Look For
Airlines such as Emirates, Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways and Turkish Airlines are relevant candidates for a comparison of European routes to Phuket, subject to confirmation of their February 2027 schedules.
Rather than awarding environmental labels to entire airlines, Coolvoyage Plus evaluates the factors that make individual itineraries more or less carbon-intensive.
1. Aircraft efficiency
Modern aircraft can offer improvements in fuel efficiency, but aircraft age alone is not enough to determine emissions per passenger.
Aircraft capacity, seating configuration and operational performance also matter.
2. Connecting airports
A connection may add distance to the journey, particularly when the connecting airport lies significantly outside the most direct geographical route.
Nevertheless, fewer connections do not automatically guarantee lower emissions.
3. Economy versus premium cabins
Passengers travelling in premium cabins generally occupy more space than Economy passengers.
Emissions models account for cabin configuration when allocating emissions among passengers. For consistency, this comparison uses Economy Class throughout.
4. The complete return journey
Comparing only the outbound flight can give travellers an incomplete picture.
The return journey may involve different aircraft, connections or schedules. Our comparison therefore considers the combined emissions of both directions.
Our Comparison Methodology
To make the results as consistent and transparent as possible, this analysis adopts the following parameters:
| Parameter | Research specification |
|---|---|
| Travel period | February 2027 |
| Departure markets | London and Rome Fiumicino |
| Destination | Phuket International Airport |
| Passenger count | One adult |
| Cabin | Economy |
| Journey | Return |
| Primary measurement | Estimated kg CO₂e per passenger |
| Additional information | Aircraft, connections and total journey duration |
Flight-specific estimates will be drawn from the Google Travel Impact Model or EASA Flight Emissions Label, where available.
The ICAO Carbon Emissions Calculator provides a separate methodological reference for estimating aviation CO₂ emissions.
Because these systems do not necessarily measure exactly the same things, their outputs should not be combined into a single ranking without explaining the differences.
An Important Limitation: Contrails
Aircraft influence the climate through more than carbon dioxide emissions.
Under certain atmospheric conditions, condensation trails can persist and contribute to warming. Their effects are highly dependent on weather and flight conditions, making them difficult to predict precisely before departure.
Google Flights now provides a separate indication of potential contrail-related warming for individual flights.
For this reason, the lowest fuel-related emissions estimate should not automatically be interpreted as the lowest possible total climate impact.
What This Means for Travellers
Choosing a lower-emission flight will not eliminate the environmental impact of travelling to Phuket.
It can, however, help travellers make more informed decisions.
Our objective is not to discourage travel or suggest that one airline is universally sustainable. It is to make the environmental consequences of different travel choices more visible.
At Coolvoyage Plus, we believe that meaningful sustainability begins with understanding the systems behind our journeys.
The better we understand them, the better we can design the way we travel.