This is a new cloud on the horizon of business aviation, widely criticized for its ecological impact. CO emissions2 Private jets increased by 46% in just five years, between 2019 and 2023, according to a study published November 7 in the journal Earth and Environment Communicationsaffiliated with Nature. The cause: an increase in the number of planes, trips and distances traveled in this most energy-consuming segment of air transport. If this sector’s contribution to global warming remains marginal, it will worsen due to a lack of regulation, scientists warn.
The 26,000 private planes in operation at the end of 2023 emitted 15.6 million tons of CO2 last year, the equivalent of the annual emissions of almost 3 million French people. However, airplane users, described by the industry as “Very great fortunes”They represent only 0.003% of the world’s adult population. “A large private plane can emit more in an hour than the average person in a year”adds Stefan Gössling, co-author of the study and researcher at Linnaeus University in Sweden.
The number of aircraft increased by 28% between 2019 and 2023 and distances by 54%, according to the same study. In total, 18.7 million robberies were recorded during the period. Its growth appears to have been helped by the Covid-19 pandemic, the cancellation of commercial flights and fear of pollution that pushes some wealthy people to rely more on private jets. The wealth of the richest has also increased over the period, making this type of theft more accessible to them.
Many empty flights
By 2023, almost half of aircraft will have traveled distances of less than 500 km, that is, the equivalent of a Paris-Lyon flight. Worse still, 5% was used for very short flights, less than 50 km. “Many planes seem to be used as taxis, for reasons of time or convenience, observes Stefan Gössling. Many flights are also empty, for example to pick up people. »
Travel is not limited to business flights. Part of it is used for leisure, since many trips are made on weekends and in summer, especially to Ibiza (Spain) or Nice. If private jets flocked to the World Economic Forum in Davos in Switzerland or to the world climate conference (COP28) in Dubai (United Arab Emirates) last year, they were also very present during the World Cup in Qatar (1,850) . jets), at the last Cannes Film Festival (640) or at the Super Bowl (200).
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