Private jets emitted more climate pollution than all flights departing Heathrow Airport in 2023
Report
Air and greenhouse gas pollution from private jets, 2023
While there are several high-fidelity emission inventories for commercial aviation, data on greenhouse gas (GHG) and air pollution from general aviation aircraft, notably private jets activity, remain limited. This report fills this gap by estimating how much, and where, air and GHG pollution was emitted globally by private jets in 2023. The ICCT developed both a top-down and bottom-up emissions inventory for private jet flights using a variety of data sources, including global flight trajectories, airport coordinates, and engine emission databases.
The report draws the following conclusions and policy recommendations:
- Private jets are a large and growing source of air and climate pollution. A typical private jet emits about 810 tonnes of GHGs in a typical year, equivalent to 177 passenger cars or nine Class 8 heavy-duty trucks. In 2023, private jets collectively emitted more GHGs than all flights departing from Heathrow Airport, the busiest airport in Europe.
- Private jet activity and emissions are overwhelmingly concentrated in the United States. In 2023, private jet flights departing from U.S. airports accounted for more than half (55%) of private jet GHG emissions globally. Florida and Texas alone generated more private jet flights and GHG emissions than the entire European Union.
- A typical private jet flight is short-haul (less than 900 km) and lasts less than two hours. This means that the emissions of many private jet flights could be reduced through the use of turboprop aircraft, which are much more fuel efficient than turbofan aircraft, and by modal shift to high-speed rail in regions like Europe
- Taxation of private jet flights or GHG emissions could generate substantial revenue to support aviation decarbonization. Introducing a global tax on fuels consumed by private flights of approximately $1.59/gallon ($ 0.42 /L) —as proposed in legislation considered in the 118th Congress—could generate up to $3 billion annually based on a top-down analysis of total annual fuel usage estimated at 5.8 million tonnes.