Number of private jet flights in Belgium and Europe reaches record high

The number of private jet flights in Europe rose 64 per cent in 2022, to a total of 572,806. The numbers come from analysis by a Dutch environmental consultancy commissioned by Greenpeace, which is calling for a ban on private jets. In Belgium, there were 10,618 private jet flights, a 52 per cent increase on the previous year.

According to Greenpeace, 55 per cent of European private jet flights were used for short flights of less than 750km. The countries with the most private jet flights were the UK, France and Germany. The three most popular destinations for private jets in Europe were Nice, Paris and Geneva.

The Brussels-London route was the most popular for private jets in Belgium, with 647 flights. This is followed by Brussels-Paris (545 ) and Brussels-Geneva (407). According to Greenpeace, these flights caused 41,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions, comparable to the average annual emissions of 278,310 cars.

"The alarming growth of private jet flights contradicts all climate science," said Greenpeace Belgium spokesperson Joeri Thijs. "A ban on energy-wasting, ultra-polluting private jets is a no-brainer. Anyone who is not super rich has nothing to gain from private jets, but they do suffer from the greenhouse gas emissions, toxic ultrafine particles and noise these flights cause."

^{© BELGA PHOTO KURT DESPLENTER}