There is an urgent need to reduce emissions from the aviation sector. Although awareness of climate change is growing, few are willing to alter their flight behaviour. Through a qualitative analysis of interview materials collected from Reykjavik Capital Region residents, this study explores how globally affluent, highly mobile young urbanites justify their international travel by plane, despite their climate change awareness, and if they are willing to change their behaviour. Six themes of justifications to continue air travel were identified; shifting responsibility, compensatory behaviours, lack of knowledge or awareness, lack of other options, benefits outweighing impacts, and carbon offsetting. Their use differed depending on respondents’ level of climate change awareness and willingness to reduce air travel, but willingness to reduce travel did not differ between awareness level scores. None were willing to quit flying regardless of their level of awareness. Compared with previous literature, we found a greater emphasis placed on the benefits of air travel. We suggest policy uptake for both individual and collective realms, such as kerosene tax and mandatory carbon offsetting, as shifting responsibility can delay action regardless of the way in which it is shifted, and reductions in these realms can only happen in concert. Other sources of well-being should be emphasized and the social norm around frequent travel actively challenged. Knowledge on the specific climate impacts of flights should be better communicated to the public and put into perspective with the global fair share of emissions and steep mitigation curves to keep warming below 1.5°.

迫切需要减少航空部门的排放。尽管人们对气候变化的意识正在增强，但很少有人愿意改变他们的飞行行为。通过对从雷克雅未克首都地区居民那里收集的采访资料进行定性分析，本研究探索了全球富裕，流动性强的年轻都市人如何证明他们乘坐飞机进行国际旅行是合理的，尽管他们了解气候变化，并且是否愿意改变自己的行为。确定了继续航空旅行的六个理由主题；责任转移，补偿性行为，缺乏知识或认识，缺乏其他选择，收益大于影响以及碳补偿。根据受访者对气候变化的了解程度和减少航空旅行的意愿，它们的使用方式有所不同，但是在意识水平得分之间，减少旅行的意愿没有差异。不管他们的意识水平如何，谁都不愿意放弃飞行。与以前的文献相比，我们发现更加强调了航空旅行的好处。我们建议对个人和集体领域都采用政策，例如煤油税和强制性碳补偿，因为无论责任的转移方式如何，转移责任都可能延迟行动，而减少这些领域只能协调一致。应强调其他福利来源，并积极挑战围绕经常旅行的社会规范。应该更好地向公众传播有关航班对特定气候影响的知识，并与全球排放的合理份额和陡峭的缓和曲线保持一致，以将升温保持在1.5°以下。