US taxpayers subsidize private jet use, contributing to pollution, report finds

U.S. taxpayers are significantly subsidizing the use of private jets, despite a tiny fraction of the population utilizing them. A report by the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS), titled "The High Cost of Private Jet Excess," criticizes the industry's environmental impact and tax treatment.

Private jets are considerably more damaging to the climate than commercial flights. Emissions per passenger on a private jet can be up to 14 times higher than on a commercial flight. Furthermore, the exhaust from private jets flying at higher altitudes creates contrails that are particularly effective at trapping heat, potentially doubling or quadrupling the climate impact beyond that of CO2 emissions alone.

According to the report, the U.S., despite housing only 4% of the world's population, is home to over two-thirds of the world's registered private jets. Sixty-five percent of all private jet operations take place at U.S. airports. This activity accounts for more than half (55%) of global greenhouse gas emissions from private jets.

The study points out that owners of private jets do not pay their fair share of taxes. While private jets account for 7% of air traffic activity, they contribute less than 0.6% of the taxes that fund the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Additionally, private jet owners benefit from public infrastructure; over a third of Airport Infrastructure Grants, funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, have been allocated to projects primarily benefiting private jets, totaling over $1.13 billion.

The report also links the use of private jets to wealth inequality. Approximately 256,000 individuals, or 0.003% of the global population, fly on private jets. The combined net worth of this group is $31 trillion. IPS has also launched the "Private Jet Emissions Tracker," a tool that measures emissions from specific private jet flights associated with events such as sporting competitions.