Reduce carbon emissions? I'd rather keep flying, thanks

Airline passengers in Britain are refusing to fly less to reduce their carbon footprint, a study has found.

Loughborough University research led by Tim Ryley shows fewer than one in five people in Britain are trying to cut the number of flights they take for environmental reasons.

"While some people are willing to fly less and others are willing to pay more to fly to offset emissions, they remain the minority," Dr Ryley told The Guardian newspaper.

"It is cost and not environmental consequences that deter people from flying more often."

Asked what increase in air fares would deter them from flying short-haul, 79 per cent of respondents said a STG50 ($A92) rise would make them fly less often.

With just a STG10 ($A18) increase in short-haul fares to destinations such as Paris and Rome, only 21 per cent would probably take fewer flights.

The Propensity to Fly study also found the majority of the British public would rather cut energy use at home than go without flying for a year.

While most people said they were unwilling to pay more for their flights to offset the environmental cost, an increasing number - 32 per cent in 2009 compared with 19 per cent in 2007 - agreed passengers should pay more to account for aviation's environmental impact.

The study included four surveys between 2007 and 2009, with sample sizes of between 300 and 615 people.