The most comprehensive global analysis to date has found that private jet flights have increased rapidly in recent years, resulting in climate-warming emissions rising by 50 percent.

The assessment tracked more than 25,000 private jets and nearly 19 million flights between 2019 and 2023. It was revealed that almost half of the jets traveled less than 500 kilometers (311 mi) and 900,000 were used “like taxis” for trips of less than 50 kilometers (31). shaft). Most flights were for leisure purposes and reached sunny destinations during the summer months. More than 1,800 private flights participated in the FIFA World Cup held in Qatar in 2022.

Private flights, used by only 0.003 percent of the world’s population, are the most polluting form of transportation. Researchers found that passengers on larger private jets emit more CO2 in one hour than the average person does in a year.

Private jet travel was dominated by the United States, representing 69 percent of flights, with Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia rounding out the top 10. private jet leaves every six minutes in England. Total emissions from private jet flights in 2023 were over 15 million tonnes; this was more than the emissions of 60 million Tanzanian people.

The expectations of the industry are as follows 8,500 more business jets This vehicle, which will enter service in 2033, performs well beyond efficiency gains and indicates that private flight emissions will increase even further. The researchers said their study highlighted the huge global disparity in emissions between rich and poor people and that tackling the emissions of the wealthy few is critical to ending global warming.

Prof Stefan Gössling from Linnaeus University in Sweden, who led the research, said: “The rich make up a very small proportion of the population, but they are increasing their emissions very quickly and to very large levels.” He added: “The increase in global emissions that we are experiencing at this point in time is coming from the top.”

Research, Published in Communications Earth & Environmentreceived the data ADS-B Exchange platformThe system records the position and altitude of each aircraft by recording the signals sent by the transponders every minute. This massive 1.8 terabyte data set was then filtered for 72 aircraft models marketed as “business jets” by their manufacturers. The emissions figures are likely an underestimate, as emissions from smaller aircraft and taxiing on the ground are not included.

The analysis found that the number of private jets increased by 28 percent between 2019 and 2023, and the distance flown increased by 53 percent. Less than a third of the flights were longer than 1,000 kilometers (621 mi), and almost 900,000 flights were shorter than 50 kilometers. (31 miles).

“We know that some people actually use them as taxis,” Gössling said. “If it’s only 50 kilometers, you can definitely do it by car.” Apart from the US and Europe, Brazil, the Middle East and the Caribbean are private jet hotspots.

Researchers found that most use was for recreational purposes. For example, private jet use to Ibiza in Spain and Nice in France peaked in the summer months and concentrated on weekends. in the USA, Taylor Swift, DrakeFloyd Mayweather Jr., Steven Spielberg and Oprah Winfrey are among these people. criticized for heavy use of private jets.

The researchers also looked at some business events in 2023, with the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, resulting in 660 private jet flights, and the COP28 climate summit in Dubai, accounting for 291 flights.

Gössling said the driving factors behind the recent huge increase in private jet use have not been analyzed, but may include a growing reluctance to share cabins on commercial flights that began during the COVID pandemic. Industry documents explain private jet users It’s called “ultra-high net worth,” consisting of about 250,000 people with an average wealth of $123 million. US private jet users are increasinglyprivacy ICAO addresses” which masks the identity of the aircraft and could make them much more difficult to track in the future.

According to Gössling, passengers must pay for the climate damage caused by each ton of CO2 emitted; this figure is estimated at around €200 ($214): “Fundamentally, it seems fair that people should pay for the damage they cause through their actions.”

He added that the second step would be to increase the landing fees for private planes, which are currently very low. A landing fee of €5,000 ($5,351) could be an effective deterrent, roughly doubling the cost of general private flights.

Alethea Warrington, head of aviation at climate charity Possible, said: “Private jets used by a small group of ultra-rich people are a completely unfair and unnecessary waste of our scarce remaining emissions budget to prevent climate breakdown and their emissions are rising even as the effects of the climate crisis escalate. ”

“It’s time for governments to act,” he said. “We need a super tax that would quickly lead to a ban on private jets.”

The U.S. Private Aviation Association did not respond to a request for comment.