The number of flights on private jets in Europe last year increased by 64%, reaching a record 572.8 thousand. Such data was published today, March 30 (.pdf) environmental organization Greenpeace, concerned about the growth of emissions from aircraft. Thus, in total, business jets accounted for almost 3.4 million tons of CO2 emissions.
“The alarming rise in private jet travel runs counter to all the climate research that tells us we need to cut CO2 emissions immediately to avert disaster,” said Greenpeace activist Clara Maria Schenk.
Greenpeace also notes that 55% of all business jet flights in Europe in 2022 were less than 750 km, distances that conservationists say are easily covered by other, greener modes of transport. The most popular private jet destinations are Paris-London, Nice-London and Paris-Geneva.
The business aviation market experienced a surge in popularity with the onset of the pandemic, when various restrictions were in place and the number of commercial flights dropped sharply. However, it continued to grow in the past year, although most of the restrictions have already been lifted, other studies confirm this.