Michigan Has The Shortest Delta Flight In The US

Michigan is fortunate to have major international airports on both the east and west sides of the state, giving travelers two options for flying out of. It works out nicely, since some airliners are at one but not the other, and prices can vary depending on the airport. Often, flying out of Grand Rapids (GRR) will result in a short, one-hour flight to Chicago, with approximately 30 minutes of the flight spent in the air.

Get our free mobile app

This was always a funny flight because you don't even get to the cruising altitude of 35,000 feet before you're already descending. This is the shortest flight I've ever been on, but as it turns out, there is an even shorter flight here in Michigan that lasts a mere 17 minutes. 

Delta Airlines' Quick Flight

While GRR is a relatively large-sized airport, Lansing (LAN) is a small international airport with four airlines offering non-stop flights (Apple Vacations, Delta, American Airlines, and Breeze). Delta's only nonstop flight is to Detroit (DTW).

READ MORE: First Scheduled Airline Service in the US Started in Grand Rapids |

From boarding to unloading, the trip takes 47 minutes, and to make things even crazier, the flight costs over $200. According to a video posted by The Detroit Discussions, featuring footage from Microsoft Flight Simulator, the flight covers 60 miles in 17 minutes.

How Much Carbon Dioxide Is Made by This Flight?

Using the ICAO Carbon Emissions Calculator and viewing a seat map for a DTW-LAN flight (DL3946), we can make a general estimate for this flight. Now, this is an overestimate because the 70-passenger aircraft is probably rarely at full capacity, but it estimates that the aircraft burns 816 kg for the quick journey.

READ MORE: 66 Years Ago, A Man Flew An Airplane UNDER The Mackinac Bridge |

For comparison, the EPA estimates that a car creates about 8,887 grams of CO₂ every gallon of gasoline burned. You can guess that a car will burn ~5 gallons of gas if you were to drive this route, totaling 44,435 grams, or 44.4 kg. That's 0.0539% of the flight's emission totals. 

Of course, these numbers are on the extreme end of estimates, but it still rings true that the difference in emissions made from this short flight is laughable. Delta's short connecting flight is key to many travelers' trips to and from the state capital, even if the driving time is not significantly different.