All chip in': America's $40 billion private jet boom is taking off, and taxpayers are helping billionaires foot the bill | Fortune

Noncommercial private jets handle about 7% of flights under the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, yet contribute only 0.6% of the taxes that help finance the aviation fund, according to the Department of Transportation. A September report from the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS) argues that the difference amounts to a taxpayer subsidy for ultra-wealthy flyers. IPS estimates 256,000 people benefit—owning $31 trillion in wealth—and points to tax breaks on qualifying aircraft purchases, publicly funded airport infrastructure, and a tax system where private jets pay far less relative to flight share. Global private jet sales are forecast at $40.3 billion in 2025. IPS also cites a Trump-era restoration of 100% bonus depreciation and state sales-tax exemptions.