Great Circle Flight Fuel Burn Estimator

Enter the coordinates of your departure and arrival points, your aircraft's cruise speed and fuel burn rate, and fuel price to estimate total fuel consumption and cost for the trip.

Estimated Fuel Cost
Great-Circle Distance (mi)
Adjusted Route Distance (mi)
Flight Time (hrs)
Fuel Burned (gal)
Total Fuel Cost

About this calculator

Estimate fuel burn and cost for a flight between two airports using the haversine great-circle distance formula and your aircraft's fuel consumption rate.

Frequently Asked Questions

What formula is used to calculate distance?

The calculator uses the haversine formula to compute great-circle distance between two latitude/longitude coordinates, which is the shortest path over the Earth's surface.

Why include a detour allowance?

Real flights rarely follow a perfect great-circle path due to air traffic control routing, weather, and airway structure, so a percentage buffer gives a more realistic estimate.

Can I use this for commercial flights?

Yes, as long as you know the aircraft's approximate cruise speed and fuel burn rate, which vary widely by aircraft type.