Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of private jets on trends in the levels of (a) air pollution and (b) CO2 emissions.

The Department for Transport has recently commissioned independent research to establish a baseline of carbon emissions by the General Aviation sector, which included private jets. Officials are considering next steps in how we can utilise the data from the report to support policy development and undertake measures to further support the decarbonisation of the sector.

In relation to local air quality, the impact of a standard aircraft’s emissions plume, at or above 3,000 ft, on nitrogen oxides (NOx) ground-level concentrations is very small even in a very conservative analysis, and 1,000 ft is the typical limiting altitude for ground-level NOx concerns.

We are taking active measures to reduce emissions from aviation whilst retaining our ability to fly. The aviation sector, including business aviation, is important for the whole of the UK economy, making an important contribution in terms of connectivity, direct economic activity, trade, investment and jobs.

The Jet Zero Strategy shows that the aviation sector can achieve net zero aviation by 2050 without government intervention limiting aviation growth. We will achieve our targets by focusing on new fuels and technology, which have economic and social benefits, without limiting demand.