Calls for a private jet super tax on super rich

30 December 2022

The transport charity is calling for a new ‘super’ rate of Air Passenger Duty to apply to private jet passengers and for private flights to lose their VAT free status.

Norman Baker from Campaign for Better Transport said: “Private jets are hugely damaging to the environment and are the preserve of the super-rich. We think it’s about time that these individuals started paying for the damage their flights cause and the proceeds used to help improve public transport for communities up and down the country.”

Private jets are between five and 14 times more polluting than commercial flights and 50 times more polluting than trains. Currently, private jet passengers are charged the same rate of APD as business or first-class passengers, with a higher rate applied to aircraft of 20 tonnes or more with fewer than 19 passengers onboard. Campaign for Better Transport is calling for a new ‘super’ rate of APD – set at ten times the current higher rate for domestic and European trips – which would apply to all private jet passengers, regardless of the size or capacity of the aircraft or distance travelled.

This new ‘super’ APD tax could raise around £1.4 billion each year, that’s equivalent to the annual investment by the Scottish Government in its rail network, would almost cover Network Rail’s entire maintenance costs from last year and is more than the Government has invested across the whole of the local bus network in recent years.

The transport charity is also calling for VAT to be applied each time a private jet lands or takes off, regardless of size or distance travelled, which would further raise between £79 million and £623 million.

With the UK responsible for almost a fifth (19 per cent) of Europe’s carbon emissions from private jets – more than any other European country – Campaign for Better Transport is calling on the Government to ensure that private jets pay for the pollution they cause and that the money is invested into public transport services around the country.

ENDS

For further information please contact the press office on 07984 773 468 (calls only no texts) or communications@bettertransport.org.uk

Notes to Editors

1. A new ‘super’ rate of Air Passenger Duty (APD), charged at ten times the current higher rate per passenger, on all chartered flights would raise:

2. In 2021, there were 135,505 private aircraft movements (arrivals and departures). If VAT was added to each movement, then revenue raised would be between £78,592,900 and £623,323,000 depending on aircraft sizes.
3. Air Passenger Duty (APD) is applied to passengers of private jets and small aircraft weighing 5.7 tonnes or more which depart from a UK airport. It is calculated per passenger and in bands, according to journey distance. Private jet passengers pay the standard rate, the same as business and first-class passengers. A further higher rate applies to aircraft of 20 tonnes or more and fewer than 19 passengers. The duty is paid by the aircraft operator and added to the charter price. Flights from the Scottish Highlands and Islands are not subject to APD, regardless of aircraft weight.

4. Only a small number of domestic private flights have Value Added Tax (VAT) applied, generally those using small helicopters or propeller aircraft. Larger private aircraft and international flights are VAT exempt.
5. According to data published by T&E, the UK is responsible for more carbon emissions from private jets than any other European country and, together with France, is responsible for almost 40 per cent of emissions.
6. Private jets are between five and 14 times more polluting than commercial planes (per passenger), and 50 times more polluting than trains, and they are twice as likely to be used for short trips (less than 300 miles), compared to flights in commercial aviation.
7. The Scottish Government spent £1.5 billion in passenger operations in 2021; Network Rail spent £1.9 billion on maintenance in 2021; and the Government has spent 1.2 billion as part of the National Bus Strategy since 2021.

1. Campaign for Better Transport operates in England and Wales. Campaign for Better Transport’s vision is for all communities to have access to high quality, sustainable transport that meets their needs, improves quality of life and protects the environment. Campaign for Better Transport Charitable Trust is a registered charity (1101929).