Private Jet Travel

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July 18th 2023

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The campaign proposal to phase out private jet aircraft travel begs a number of serious questions. 

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Is it intended that from 2030 all `private` jet aircraft should be banned from the United Kingdom?  If so then there would be a hugely deleterious effect upon inward investment and the economy. We have no power to ban international jet travel and such a ban in the UK would simply direct traffic – and business – elsewhere. 

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Is it intended that UK citizens would be banned from using private jet aircraft?  If so UK businessmen would be placed at an internationally competitive disadvantage to no appreciably useful purpose. 

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Is it intended that Government Ministers with the associated Press corps and others (military personnel for example) should be barred from using private aircraft? If so our ability as a nation to engage in international diplomacy would be seriously weakened. 

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Has the campaign compared the relatively modest number of frequently short-haul `private` jet aircraft flights with the number of `unnecessary` `private` charter holiday flights?  If not they should do so or face the justified accusation that the campaigners are seeking to hit at a populist `elitist` soft target at the expense of other more polluting but publicly enjoyed aviation! 

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Within a few years we shall, I believe, achieve the advent  of clean hydrogen/electric-powered aircraft and the likelihood is that those will be introduced on short-haul flights and through General (`private`) Aviation while the technology to power longer-haul routes is developed. Targeting the GA sector would therefore again be counter-productive. 

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I am afraid that while I most certainly wish to see the introduction of a multi-national fleet of environmentally friendly jet aircraft I do not believe a a `ban on private jet travel by 2030` has anything to constructively or responsibly offer. 

Sir Roger Gale MP