Experts argue 'total private jet ban' could 'save the planet' as the world burns

As the UK faces its fifth heatwave and drought conditions, and Europe battles wildfires, campaigners and experts are debating calls for a “total private jet ban” to cut emissions. The argument centers on per-person pollution: private flights can be up to 30 times more polluting than commercial travel due to very low occupancy. Professor Stefan Gössling cites system-level figures, with private air transport at 15.6 Mt CO2 (direct) versus about 800 Mt from commercial in 2023. In the UK, Alethea Warrington of We Are Possible says private jets are about 500,000 tonnes against roughly 39 Mt total UK aviation emissions, arguing they still matter because they dominate the emissions-per-person comparison and often serve short routes—such as London to Paris.