One private jet every eight minutes in London
The Mayor refused to condemn private jet use in London despite new revelations of their extensive use, following questioning from Zack Polanski during Mayor’s Question Time today.
New analysis put to the Mayor shows that 17,000 flights were recorded inside the Greater London Authority area alone last year,[2] to which the Mayor responded that “there may be circumstances where someone may need to use a private jet.”[4]
This comes amid wider analysis from Zack Polanski showing that one private jet takes off or lands at all London airports every eight minutes.[1]
Green London Assembly member Zack Polanski says:
“London is a playground for the super-rich, and the private jet numbers prove that.
“While ordinary Londoners are rightly asked to change how they travel for the sake of planet and the air we breathe, the very wealthiest are carrying on their polluting habits undeterred.
“The self-titled ‘greenest Mayor ever’ is letting the super-rich off the hook. Londoners are doing their best to cope with a climate and cost of living crisis. It is totally unfair that the wealthiest few can continue polluting as they please when ultimately it won’t be them who pay the price for climate breakdown.”
“The Government needs to take decisive action to curb these unnecessary emissions – that starts with the Mayor calling for a ban on harmful fossil fuel burning jets in London and being brave enough to stand up to the one percent.”
Politicians and campaign groups have highlighted dangerous levels of pollution caused by private jet flights, which can produce up to 14 times more emissions per passenger than commercial planes, and up to 50 times more than trains.[3]
One return flight between London and the south of France can emit more carbon than the average Londoner does in a year.[5]
While much of the recorded flights to and from London fall outside the area covered by the Greater London Authority – London Luton airport alone is responsible for almost 30,000 private flights last year – 17,000 flights were still recorded inside the metropolitan area overseen by the Mayor, primarily from the Biggin Hill Airport in Bromley.[2]
Notes to editors
[1] Data published by the Civil Aviation Authority shows over 70,000 private jets arrived at and departed from all London airports in 2022 – the equivalent to one every eight minutes. Analysis based on sum of private, official and business aviation movements at Gatwick, Heathrow, London City, Luton, Southend, Stanstead and Biggin Hill. Using definitions provided in the foreword for the dataset.
[2] Data published by the Civil Aviation Authority shows almost 17,000 private jets arrived at and departed from airports in the Greater London Authority (GLA) area in 2022. Analysis based on sum of private, official and business aviation movements at Heathrow, London City, and Biggin Hill. Using definitions provided in the foreword for the dataset.
[3] From analysis by European campaign group, Transport & Environment, in 2021.
[4] Watch Zack Polanski and Sadiq Khan’s full interaction at Mayor’s Question Time
[5] According to analysis by European campaign group, Transport & Environment, in 2021, a private jet can emit two tonnes of CO2 an hour; analysis by CE Delft, commissioned by Greenpeace, puts average CO2 emissions on flights between London and Nice in 2022 as high as 5.3 tonnes. Data from the London Energy and Greenhouse Gas Inventory, available on the GLA datastore, in 2019 the average London was responsible for emitting 3.1 tonnes of CO2.
[6] This data follows revelations in a study commissioned by Greenpeace earlier this year that found London to Paris was the most popular private jet route in Europe in 2022, accounting for 3,357 flights. Six of the top 10 routes also included London.