A climate summit that brings close to 100,000 people to one city faces a transport question of its own: how do you move them all without the emissions the meeting exists to cut? At COP31 in Antalya, the answer is more than 550 mostly electric and hybrid shuttle buses, a free light-rail link and special air fares for delegates.
550 buses, seven routes, no ticket
COP31’s organisers have laid on free public transport for registered participants across seven main routes linking Antalya city centre, the hotels and the COP31 venue at the Antalya Expo Center in Aksu, according to a briefing by the COP31 Presidency. More than 550 vehicles will run the shuttle services, the majority of them electric and hybrid. A light-rail line running between the city centre, the airport and the venue will also be free for participants.
Antalya Airport, which welcomes millions of visitors a year, sits only 12 kilometres from the city centre — a 10-minute drive, the presidency said — and the city has the capacity to host an operation of this scale.
Flying in: the official airline and the free visa
Turkish Airlines is the official airline of COP31 and is offering special fares to delegates on international and domestic flights to Antalya, booked through the conference’s official flight agency, Section Turizm. Bookings must be round-trip and on Turkish Airlines flights.
Registered participants can also travel on a free multiple-entry COP31 visa, valid from 1 to 30 November 2026 for a stay of up to 30 days. Accommodation prices for delegates funded through the UN’s Trust Fund for Participation are capped at 50 percent of the daily subsistence allowance.
Counting the carbon of the journey
Not every journey to Antalya can be low-carbon. The University of California San Diego is sending 24 representatives to COP31, including 17 researchers from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Under a Scripps programme, delegates pay the “equity-weighted” social cost of carbon tied to their travel, with round-trip international flights often costing between $400 and $1,000 per traveller. The university’s Ocean Pavilion returns to the talks for a fifth year, hosting more than 65 talks and panel sessions.
The example points to a wider question the summit itself raises: flying tens of thousands of people to a climate conference carries a footprint, and organisers are under pressure to show the travel is worth it — in decisions, not just attendance.
What the green travel plan shows
Antalya’s plan is a test case for how big conferences move people: electric shuttles and rail for the last miles, bundled fares for the flights, and free visas to cut friction. If it works smoothly over the two weeks, it will be a model other host cities copy. If the shuttles jam or the routes fail, it will be a reminder that green travel depends on planning as much as on vehicles. More COP31 coverage is available in our climate section.
FAKTA
- COP31 runs 9–20 November 2026 at the Antalya Expo Center, Aksu, Türkiye.
- Expected visitors: close to 100,000 over two weeks, including around 60,000 conference participants.
- Shuttle fleet: more than 550 vehicles, majority electric and hybrid.
- Shuttle routes: seven main routes, free for registered participants.
- Light rail: city centre–airport–venue, free for participants.
- Antalya Airport: 12 km from the city centre, about 10 minutes by road.
- Official airline: Turkish Airlines, special delegate fares via Section Turizm.
- COP31 visa: free, multiple-entry, 1–30 November 2026, stay up to 30 days.
