Private jets are as big polluters as pets, the executive says

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A private jet executive has dismissed criticism that his industry was a major emitter of greenhouse gases, arguing that pets polluted as much if not more as demand for luxury transportation increases.

Patrick Hansen, chief executive officer of Luxembourg-based Luxaviation, told the FT Luxury business summit in Munich that one of his company’s customers produces about 2.1 tonnes of CO₂ a year, or about the same amount as three cats, before a spokesman rectified behind the scenes that he meant three dogs.

The industry was aware of the urgency of limiting its carbon footprint, but the data needs to “be put into perspective,” Hansen said during a panel discussion on Tuesday. He added that private flights “aren’t going away because they provide a time service” to the wealthy.

Hansen said later that he was referring to data published in a book by Mike Berners-Lee, a British academic, called “How Bad are Bananas.” He says a cat kept as a pet is responsible for 310kg of carbon emissions a year and a dog about 700kg.

Berners-Lee said in an email that he was “surprised and disappointed to hear that the data in my book has been used to defend the false ecological claims made by Luxaviation.” He questioned Hansen’s figure of 2.1 tonnes, saying it seemed “suspiciously low” and “must be for very short flights and very small aircraft”.

“The simple reality is that emissions from luxury private jets are many times higher than from standard commercial flights. Nor is it reasonable to say that climate damage can be remedied by so-called ‘compensation’,” he added. “Luxury private jets are a huge carbon indulgence.”

Private jet companies have benefited from booming demand since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, as the ultra-wealthy have sought to avoid crowds and restrictions. While all travel restrictions have been lifted, according to industry experts, the trend is set to continue as high spenders seek more personalized and luxurious travel experiences. Global demand for private jets has increased more than 14% since before the pandemic, according to the industry data.

Hansen said the “influx of new customers into the private jet market” last year offset the loss of customers from regions impacted by air travel restrictions related to Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Meanwhile, climate change activists and policymakers have called for measures to penalize private flights to help curb global warming. Last month, Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport sought to ban private jets from entering and leaving the Dutch capital after its runway was stormed by climate activists. Activists at Geneva airport on Tuesday disrupted Europe’s most important trade fair for private jets.

According to a 2022 Oxfam relationship The carbon footprint of private jets is at least 10 times greater than that of commercial airlines. That means one per cent of the world’s population is responsible for half of the aviation industry’s total emissions, according to the charity. This was supported by a study by Transport & Environment, an EU NGO, which estimated that private jets emitted 5 to 14 times more greenhouse gases per passenger than commercial flights.

Hansen said the industry “didn’t want to be ashamed of our children” and was taking steps to offset and limit its emissions.

Some industry experts have suggested that sustainable fuels such as vegetable oil-based biofuels and synthetic fuels could replace traditional carbon-based ones. boeing CEO Dave Calhoun rejected biofuels in an interviewstating that they “would never match the price of jet fuel”.

Hansen said the availability of biofuels is extremely limited worldwide, so the air travel industry cannot rely solely on low-polluting options.

“Of course, when we brought people to COP26 in Edinburgh, we made sure those jets were only filled with sustainable fuels,” he said.

According to Hansen, hydrogen and electric engines for aircraft will be a more sustainable alternative to combustion engines in the long term. For the foreseeable future, however, Luxaviation advises customers not to fly on private jets for very short distances.

“Sometimes it’s just better not to fly. We tell our customers not to fly from Paris to Lyon.”

On Tuesday, in a move to reduce emissions, France banned short-haul domestic flights for which train alternatives already exist, including routes such as Paris to Nantes, Bordeaux and Lyon.