Time for a super tax on private jets
It is time for a super tax to curb private air travel, say the Scottish Greens. The Party is calling for a £1000 levy on all private jet users who land in Scotland, to tackle the huge climate impact from private flights.
Figures from Civil Aviation Authority show that in 2022 alone there were there were over 10,000 private and 2000 business movements at Scotland's busiest airports
Across Europe, private jet carbon emissions have increased by 31% since 2005, with the UK accounting for 19%: more than any other European country.
At present, private jet users are charged the same rate of Air Passenger Duty as business or first-class passengers.
The Party’s climate spokesperson, Mark Ruskell MSP, said:
“We are in a climate emergency. The current deadly heatwaves across Europe and wildfires on our doorstep show how urgently we need to act.
“Aviation is one of the biggest drivers of the crisis, yet hundreds of private jets are landing here in Scotland every single month.
“This isn’t people having an annual family holiday to Spain - it’s luxury, often half-empty, and completely unnecessary private flights which are fuelling the burning of our planet.
“Just 1% of people cause 50% of global aviation emissions - it’s time for us to say their private jets are not welcome in Scotland.
“Scotland should introduce a super-tax on these flights, to urgently cut the number of jets in our sky and ensure that polluters are paying for the damage they are doing.”
Analysis from the Scottish Greens shows that a super tax on private air travel could raise £75 million, which could be used to fund public transport infrastructure and climate resilience projects.
The tax would be applied via the devolved Air Departure Tax, which was passed by the Scottish Parliament in 2017 but has yet to be introduced.
Aviation is an excluded area of the Bute House Agreement between the Scottish Greens and the Scottish Government.