Around the world 2,399 times with private jets
This is the number of kilometers flown by Austrian private jets in the last four years. These are the findings of a new Greenpeace report, which for the first time provides facts and figures on the non-transparent Austrian private aviation industry, the flight movements of registered private aircraft and their owners. There are currently 227 active private aircraft registered in Austria.
In the last four years, they caused at least 407,000 tons of CO2 emissions, flew around 96 million kilometers and circled the globe 2,399 times. More than half of all climate-damaging private jet emissions are caused by the three charter companies Avcon Jet, Sparfell and GlobeAir alone. Glock, Porsche and Red Bull are the most prominent companies with their own private jets. Greenpeace is calling on the Austrian government to put a stop to these excessive luxury emissions and to campaign for a ban on private jets.
"While the world is on fire, a small elite continues to jet around the world as if there were no tomorrow."
Jasmin Duregger, Greenpeace
"For the first time, we are seeing the full extent of the climate-damaging private jet business in Austria and who is making a fortune from it. A ban on private jets is essential to put a clear end to this climate-damaging business across Europe," says Jasmin Duregger, climate and energy expert at Greenpeace in Austria. The next EU transport summit will take place at the beginning of June. Greenpeace is appealing to Transport Minister Leonore Gewessler to put the issue on the agenda and call for an EU-wide ban on private jets.
Fast-growing sector
The report shows that the private aviation industry is growing strongly. In 2022, climate-damaging emissions rose to a record level, with the number of private flights increasing by a breathtaking 64 percent from 2019 to 2022 to a total of 572,806. The most frequently flown route by Austrian private jets is Paris - Geneva - a route that can be reached by train in just 3.5 hours.
Austria takes 5th place
In an EU comparison, Austria ranks fifth for the most private flights with around 15,100 departures, while Germany, France and Italy lead the ranking of EU countries with the most private jet flights in 2022. While Europe is increasingly struggling with winter droughts and water shortages, CO2 emissions from private jets have more than doubled in the last year, exceeding the annual per capita CO2 emissions of 550,000 EU citizens.
Private jets are the most harmful to the climate
Private jets are the most climate-damaging and unfair form of transportation. They cause up to 14 times more CO2 emissions than an average commercial airplane (per passenger) and 50 times more than trains. More than half of all private jet flights in Europe were short or ultra-short flights of less than 750 km.
"Overall, aviation can only meet the Paris climate targets if the number of flights is significantly reduced."
Lisa Panhuber, spokesperson for Greenpeace Austria
Private jet ban at Amsterdam airport
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol announced on Monday that it will ban private jets from 2025 and impose a ban on night flights. Greenpeace welcomes the announcement and is calling on the Austrian government to introduce a national ban on private jets. The ban at Schiphol follows years of campaigning by local residents and environmental groups such as Greenpeace and Extinction Rebellion, who have been campaigning for a global reduction in air traffic.
