Carbon emissions are major a focus of the international community, and carbon reduction and neutralization have become common global goals. CO₂ is the most abundant gas emitted during aviation flight. Although it accounts for a small proportion of the total carbon emissions from human activities, its impact will increase considerably. The joint action of the global response to climate change has caused the aviation industry to pay attention to its CO₂ emissions. With the rapid development of China’s civil aviation industry, the carbon emissions generated by aviation fuel consumption are also growing, which will increase the pressure on China to achieve its carbon emission reduction goal. Therefore, the effect of carbon emissions from civil aviation on climate change is an important topic for scientific research. Many studies have been conducted on this subject, especially internationally, with significant achievements. Here, we review the current mainstream research progress and work trends of aviation carbon emissions and their effects on climate change from the perspective of carbon emission measurement and the impact of carbon emissions on climate change, and propose future exploration. This review summarizes the impact of aviation emissions from a different perspective, which will help to gain a more comprehensive understanding of climate change in the future and provide a reference for scholars and scientists from relevant departments to conduct scientific and comprehensive research on emission reduction measures in China to more effectively cope with climate change.