Scottish Greens will ban polluting private jets from publicly owned airports.
The Scottish Greens have unveiled plans to ban private jets from Scotland’s publicly owned airports. The proposal forms part of the party’s wider push to tackle the climate crisis and end the double standards that let the wealthiest polluters off the hook.
The ban would stop these climate wrecking flights from landing at Prestwick and all airports covered by Highlands and Islands Airports Limited, including Inverness and Wick. The number of private jet flights in Scotland grew to over 12,000 in 2024, the last year for which data has been compiled.
Private jets are up to thirty times more polluting than regular commercial planes and 50 times more polluting than trains.
This ban would build on the work already underway to introduce a private jet tax, which was secured by Green MSPs earlier this year. With aviation powers reserved to Westminster, the Scottish Government would not have the power to ban private jets from privately owned airports such as Aberdeen or Edinburgh, however this new tax will apply to any flights landing there.
Scottish Greens co-leader Ross Greer said:
“Private jets are one of the clearest symbols of extreme climate and wealth inequality. The vast majority of people in Scotland will never go near one, but we all end up suffering from the damage they are doing to our climate.
“Thanks to the Scottish Greens, work is already underway on a private jet tax to make sure the richest start paying their fair share. The next step is to ban these toys of the super-rich from landing at our publicly owned airports at all.
“Airports owned by the public shouldn’t be used to serve the whims of billionaires. Their luxury lifestyles and pollution-heavy vanity trips simply aren’t worth the damage they cause to our planet.
“Whether they are hopping between their shooting estates, mansions or superyachts, the result is the same – the public pays the price while the super-rich carry on as normal.
“The Scottish Greens believe that public airports should serve the public good, not act as a taxpayer-funded playground for the ultra-wealthy.
“This election is a chance to back real climate action and finally start holding the biggest polluters to account. A vote for the Scottish Greens on 7th May is a vote to demand better for our climate, our communities and our future.”
