The International Energy Agency report outlines 10 ways to reduce oil consumption, citing the reduction of air travel, particularly business travel. Indeed, aviation is one of the top five sectors driving oil demand in the OECD in 2024. With few other regions able to quickly ramp up production, the continuous disruption in the Middle East could hit aviation hard.
It is now more than ever time to reduce exposure to external shocks and fossil fuel volatility, reducing flying and opting for other modes of travel to strengthen resilience.
Reduce business flying
According to the IEA, business travel accounts for a significant share of aviation activity, between 20% and 40%. In many cases, it can be replaced with virtual meetings while maintaining productivity. A 40% reduction in business flights is achievable in the short term, and if widely adopted, such efforts could cut jet fuel demand by 7% to 15%.
The pandemic proved this is possible. Companies invested heavily in remote meeting technology, making virtual interactions more effective and widely accepted. Businesses didn’t just survive, many thrived while making this shift. Companies like KPMG, Capgemini and Deloitte have set travel emissions reduction targets of 50% by 2030 and are making progress to meet them.
In 2024, the French government committed to reducing outbound air journeys by staff by 30% by 2027, as compared to 2019. It also required its staff to take the train instead of the plane where rail journeys can be completed in under four hours. Corporations were also asked to reduce flights, with air travel to be considered only when the train journey exceeds four hours one way or six hours round trip in a single day.
In the current crisis, governments around the world are also stepping up. Thailand has suspended overseas trips for state agencies, while Egypt, Pakistan and Vietnam have all introduced measures to limit travel by public officials.
Cut on long-haul flying
In 2024, the most polluting flights departing from Europe were long-haul routes like London–New York and Frankfurt–Shanghai. According to the IEA’s Net Zero 2050 scenario, a targeted reduction of flights by 12%, including long-haul leisure flights, could cut global aviation emissions by up to 50%.
Long-haul flights don’t just emit CO₂, they also produce additional warming effects, most visibly in the form of contrails. Also called non-CO₂ emissions, they actually warm the climate at least as much as much as the carbon emissions from the flight itself. That means avoiding even a relatively small number of long-haul flights in a targeted way can deliver major climate benefits.
Taxing flights based on distance, as the Netherlands will introduce, can generate revenue that could be invested in green technologies like sustainable aviation fuels (especially e-kerosene) and zero-emission aircraft. The principle should be to avoid unnecessary long-haul flights and choose destinations accessible by rail or other low-emission transport wherever possible.
Choose rail alternatives
Where high-speed rail lines connect major cities within 1,000 kilometers, trains offer a genuine alternative to short-haul flights. On routes with affordable, reliable and convenient service, high-speed rail is well placed to replace air travel. Night trains also provide a practical option for covering longer distances where travellers can enjoy the view, work and sleep.
High-speed rail doesn’t just reduce oil demand and emissions, it can actually be faster, more comfortable, more reliable and more affordable than flying. Rail stations are typically located in or near city centers, making them more convenient and sustainable than airports.
Companies like L’Oréal, Siemens, and Mapfre have already adopted clear rail policies, encouraging employees to choose the train while ensuring travel remains productive and comfortable. These policies include measures such as prioritising rail over air travel for journeys below a certain distance or duration and the possibility to book first class tickets to allow employees to be more comfortable on the train.
Based on existing infrastructure, around 2% of aviation activity in advanced economies, covering both leisure and business travel, could shift to high-speed rail. Nearly all of these are flights under 800 kilometers.
Lastly, the French government established a measure banning short-haul flights where high-speed rail alternatives exist, which is being under revision by the European Commission. With two thirds of Europeans backing the legislation, new research has identified other European city pairs with high potential for similar measures, based on rail journeys of four to five hours.
Prioritising quality over quantity
Not all flights are essential, especially amidst a crisis. In November 2025, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration banned private jet flights at twelve major American airports due to severe air traffic controller shortages during a government shutdown. The restrictions were aimed at alleviating flight delays at key hubs by prioritising commercial flights. They are used by travellers visiting family or traveling for business, whereas private jets serve billionaires heading to their vacation homes.
Prioritising quality is also essential for tourism. The average length of stay in European tourism destinations has dropped from 4.3 nights around the year 2000 to just 3.4 nights in 2023. This trend towards shorter, more frequent holidays is increasing the transport costs share of tourist trip expenditure in Europe, leaving less available for spending on other services. Indeed, governments need to reconsider strategies for transport connectivity and tourism value by prioritising the quality of rail networks and local tourism infrastructure over the quantity of air tourism arrivals.
Turning crisis into opportunity
This isn’t the first time we’ve been forced to rethink how we travel. In 2020, the pandemic brought flying to a halt. In 2022, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine led to some efforts to reduce oil and jet fuel consumption. But this current crisis is different: it reveals the continuing vulnerability of dependence on volatile fossil fuels on a larger scale. Reducing unnecessary flights in a proactive and strategic way can go hand in hand with deeper benefits of maximising societal value of travel modes and minimising the risk of disruption.
We’ve adapted before. This time we can do it in a deeper way to shield ourselves from another crisis in a few years. Let’s turn this oil crisis into an opportunity for transformation to a more sustainable future for mobility.
Aiza Rodrigues Akhtar, Aviation Campaign Officer