28th October 2025
Private Jets -1
The International Council of Clean Transport report on greenhouse gas pollution found that private jets accounted for only 2%-4% of annual aviation emissions. (1) Are private jets as a sub sector of the aviation industry worth targeting?
Would limiting (eg by higher taxation) or banning private jets be a popular move for a government? Are the people who fly in private jets people a significant group within the electorate?
Are those who can afford private jets, also paying large amounts in tax – or are private jets tax deductible?
Are they movers and shakers in driving the economy and creating jobs?
Does the private jet industry itself create a significant number of jobs?
The current Labour government has increased air passenger duty (APD) which includes ordinary commercial flights and flights on private jets. The tax on the latter is increasing by 50% such that the most expensive rate for private jet flyers will increase from £607 to £673 in 2025, reaching £1,141 per passenger by April 2026.
“Those individuals who travel in larger more luxurious private jets may see a bigger increase,” the government said. “The additional increase to the higher rates ensures that APD costs as a proportion of the hiring costs for private jets are more in line with APD on commercial airlines as a proportion of airfares. The increase to the higher rate will ensure that users of private jets continue to make a fair contribution to the public finances.” (2)
Will this be sufficient to curb private jet flights?
The Green Party has proposed “a ban on all private jets taking off or landing at UK airports. They say this form of transportation, favoured by a super-rich elite, is the ultimate symbol of ‘climate inequality’ where the richest 1% of the population produce as much planet warming pollution each year as 5 billion people making up the poorest two-thirds of the global population.” (3)
(1) https://theicct.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/ID-349-–-Private-jets_report_final.pdf
(2) https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/budget-2024-private-jet-tax-rise-b2638927.html
Information on campaign groups opposing private jets
The Green Tau 