THE Scottish Greens want to stop all private jets using publicly owned Scottish airports such as Prestwick and Inverness and Wick run by Highlands and Islands Airports Limited.
In 2024 the number of private jet flights rose to 12,000, and the party says the jets used are thirty times more polluting than regular commercial planes, and fifty times more polluting than trains.
A private jet tax is already being explored which would apply to flights arriving at all airports, including the privately owned airports at Aberdeen and Edinburgh. Aviation powers are reserved to Westminster and so The Scottish Government could not prevent private jets landing at privately owned airports..
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.”
