Emissions from intercity aviation: An international comparison

•We build an inventory of intercity aviation emissions of six countries.•Emissions per capita are polarized between developed and developing countries.•Emissions in developing countries are concentrated within a few large cities.•The proportion of emissions from short-haul flights in China is quite small.•HSR may be an effective means of reducing emissions from short-haul flights. This paper builds an inventory of intercity aviation emissions (CO2, NOx, SOx, CO, HC, and PM) and conducts a comprehensive international comparison, including the USA, Canada, Australia, Mainland China, Brazil, and India. We find that, first, the emissions per capita are significantly higher in developed countries than in developing countries. Second, the distribution of emissions in developed countries is disperse, while the emissions in developing countries are concentrated within a limited number of large cities. Third, the proportion of emissions from short-haul flights in China is much smaller than that in other countries. The development of high-speed rail in China may be one of main reasons for such a pattern. Finally, several policy implications are discussed.