Private jet flights have soared in recent years, with the resulting climate-heating emissions rising by 50 percent, the most comprehensive global analysis to date has revealed.
The assessment tracked more than 25,000 private jets and almost 19 million flights between 2019 and 2023. It found almost half the jets travelled less than 500 kilometers (311 miles) and 900,000 were used “like taxis” for trips of less than 50 kilometers (31 miles). Many flights were for holidays, arriving in sunny locations in the summertime. The FIFA World Cup in Qatar in 2022 attracted more than 1,800 private flights.
Private flights, used by just 0.003 percent of the world’s population, are the most polluting form of transport. The researchers found that passengers in larger private jets caused more CO2 emissions in an hour than the average person did in a year.
The US dominated private jet travel, representing 69 percent of flights, and Canada, the U.K. and Australia were all in the top 10. A private jet takes off every six minutes in the ... Read more
