The main reason for private jet flights in Europe during the summer months is holiday and leisure travel, according to a new analysis from Greenpeace. The most popular destinations include Nice, Geneva and Palma de Mallorca. The damage to the environment amounts to 520,000 tons of CO2.
Summer time is travel time – and the upper income bracket is happy to take advantage of this in the form of private jet flights, as a new analysis from Greenpeace shows. The year before, there were more than 117,000 flights to summer destinations, which resulted in more than 520,000 tons of climate-damaging CO2 emissions.
In 2023 alone, there were more than 5,650 private jet landings at the two Austrian airports in Salzburg and Klagenfurt, of which 4,511 in the city of Mozart and 1,148 in Klagenfurt.
Greenpeace calls for an EU-wide ban on private jets
With the high number of landings, Salzburg took tenth place among the 45 airports surveyed in Europe. Private jet traffic increased noticeably, especially during the Salzburg Festival. According to an analysis by Greenpeace, private jets in Klagenfurt caused more than half of the CO2 emissions in the summer months in just four months. Greenpeace is therefore once again calling for an EU-wide ban on private jets.
“While people in Europe are struggling with the catastrophic consequences of the summer of drought and floods, the super-rich are flying carefree through Europe on their way to Europe’s summer hotspots. This must end,” says Jasmin Duregger, climate and energy expert at Greenpeace.
The number of flights has doubled compared to the low season
Almost half of all analyzed flights (42.6 percent) took place during the holiday period between June and September. This accounted for 41.6 percent of CO2 emissions for the entire year.
According to the analysis, arrivals at popular summer destinations have also doubled in the summer months compared to the low season. In July they rose by an average of 250 percent compared to January. Nearly twelve percent of all private flights analyzed traveled less than 250 kilometers in the air. The NGO advocated covering such short distances with climate-friendly trains.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
