Private aviation is making a growing contribution to climate change, with many being used as ‘taxis’ for distances less than 50km, according to a study.
In the study – led by Stefan Gossling, a professor at Linnaeus University in Sweden – the researchers aimed to quantify the contribution private aviation makes on climate change.
To do this they analysed the flight tracker data of more than 18.6 million private flights, which were flown by 25,993 registered business jet-type private aircraft over a four-year period from 2019 to 2023.
Analysing the CO2 emissions of each of these flights, they concluded that they cumulatively produced approximately 15.6 million tonnes of CO2 in direct emissions in 2023. This equates to approximately 3.6 tonnes of CO2 emitted on average per flight.
The researchers found that almost half (47.4%) of these private jet flights are shorter than 500km, with 4.7% making a journey of less than 50km. This reveals that these flights are effectively ‘taxis’, replacing cars for time gains or convenience.
Flight pattern analysis shows that the trips are predominantly made for leisure purposes, such as jetting off to holiday destinations, or for cultural and political events.
They found that major international events are associated with a particularly large volume of private flights. COP28, for example, was associated with 644 private flights, which produced 4,800 tonnes of CO2, while the 2022 FIFA World Cup was associated with 1,846 private flights, which produced 14,700 tonnes of CO2.
Over the four-year period, emissions from private aviation increased by 46%, and are equivalent to approximately 1.8% of the total emissions produced by commercial aviation in 2023.
The researchers predict that this will continue to grow as another 8,500 business jets are expected to take to the skies by 2033.
The conclusion the researchers draw from their study, which has been published in the journal Communications Earth & Environment, is that individuals using private aviation emit disproportionally more than an average human.
They are calling for increased regulation to address the sector’s growing climate impact, especially with the use of sustainable aviation fuel remaining limited.
Alethea Warrington, head of aviation at the climate charity Possible, told The Guardian: “Private jets, used by a tiny group of ultra-wealthy people, are an utterly unjustifiable and gratuitous waste of our scarce remaining emissions budget to avoid climate breakdown, and their emissions are soaring, even as the impacts of the climate crisis escalate.
“It’s time for governments to act,” she said. “We need … a super-tax, rapidly arriving at an outright ban on private jets.”
In the recent Autumn Budget, Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced that taxes on private jet flights will increase by 50%.
