Study Finds Alarming Increase in Private Jet Impacts

A European study finds large and growing impacts from private jet aviation. The study, by Linnaeus University in Sweden, examined 18 million private jet flights from 2019 to 2023.

The study confirms the results of other studies showing that private jets are used primarily for resort destinations: “Flight pattern analysis confirms extensive travel for leisure purposes, and for cultural and political events.” The largest events generating private jet travel, starting with the largest, were Cannes Film Festival, Davos, the FIFA World Cup, COP 28, and the Super Bowl. Many individual private jets visited many of these events.

The number of private jet use was found to be increasing at 6.45% per year, the number of flights increasing at 7.36% per year, and the GHG generation increasing at 9.93% per year (due to longer flights by larger aircraft). The study found that “private air travel accounted for 6.3% of the ‘total commercial plus private aviation emissions’ in the USA in 2019, and 7.9% in 2021.”” Over 68% of private jets are based in the USA.

The report found that overall private jet emissions has increased over 46% since 2019 and that “Regulation is needed to address the sector’s growing climate impact.”
Gossling et al, “Private Aviation is making a growing contribution to climate change” Communications Earth and Environment, 2024 5:666