Climate-heating emissions from private jet flights have soared in Europe since 2005, according to a report. It calls for wealthy fliers to pay ticket taxes of €325m a year to fund the acceleration of zero-carbon aviation technology. Carbon emissions from private flights rose by 31% from 2005-19, the report says, and private aviation had rebounded to pre-pandemic levels by August 2020, when 60% of public flights were grounded. Travelling by private jet is the most polluting activity an individual can undertake, the report says, with four hours of flying equivalent to the total annual emissions of the average European citizen. The study, by the campaign group Transport & Environment ), found that private jets were five to 14 times more polluting per passenger than commercial planes, depending on the jet used. It also found that almost half of private jet flights within Europe were short – less than 500km – compared with the quarter of commercial flights that travel under this distance. The T&E report argues that with the average private jet owner being a billionaire and flights being little taxed at present, these travellers can afford to pay to fund the development of electric or hydrogen-powered aircraft and […]
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