Kylie Jenner has faced a torrent of criticism for her decision to make her private jet on a flight that lasted only 17 minutes. But the practice of making brief trips in luxury airplanes seems to be common among rich and famous despite the growing concerns about the climatic crisis.
Jenner, the 24 -year -old socialite and businesswoman, has faced online opprobrium after she published an Instagram photo of her and her partner, rapper Travis Scott, on the track of an airport between two private jets with the subtitle ” You want to take mine or yours?
According to an automated Twitter account that tracks celebrity flights based on transponders and tail marks, Jenner’s Flight on July 12 lasted only 17 minutescarrying her from Van Nuys in Los Angeles to the nearby city of Camarillo. The model had made a 27 -minute trip on her plane, a BD 700 Bombardier of $ 72 million, to Van Nuys from Themal, California.
She was later attacked By Twitter users for his “absolute contempt for the planet” and for being a “full -time climate criminal.”
It is estimated that its 17 -minute excursion would have resulted in a ton of carbon dioxide emissions, which, although in itself it is not a large amount, is approximately a quarter of the total annual carbon footprint of the average person to worldwide. The trip would have taken Jenner about 40 minutes in a car, causing only a fraction of the emissions.
But Jenner, who took an even shorter flight, which lasts only nine minutes, between the same two places in June, is far from being the only celebrity to make short jumps using private planes instead of driving or using public transport.
A review of the Celebrity Jets tracking shows that just in the last month, rapper Drake took a 18 -minute flight from Hamilton, Ontario to Toronto; Kenny Chesney, the country music singer, was in the air for only 20 minutes between Akron, Ohio and Pittsburgh and actor Mark Wahlberg took a 23 -minute flight from Dublin to Clare County in Ireland, among other short trips.
Many of these short flights are “parking” a plane in a convenient or less expensive place, or are part of a longer trip and two parts, but many seem to have an unclear reason, such as Floyd Mayweather’s decision, the boxer, the boxer, To fly 14 minutes from Las Vegas to the nearby Henderson, then fly 10 minutes ago on Sunday.
“I am not surprised that people are upset, they are right to anger me with this,” said Jack Sweeney, creator of the celebrity jets account, which uses data from a company that tracks airplane transfers.
Sweeney, a student from the University of Florida Central, has a similar account That only tracks Elon Musk’s private jet, Tesla’s billionaire chief. In May, musk took A 28 -minute flight on his plane between Houston and Austin, Texas, but Sweeney believes that he should be judged differently for this.
“With Elon he is only trying to be as quickly as possible and efficient for work, but someone like Kim Kardashian (who has taken flights from long and short private airplanes) is publishing ‘Kim Air’ and flexing and all that,” he said.
Private airplanes are responsible for about 4% of all aviation emissions, according to a 2016 study, with the an airline industry anxious to point out that flying in general comprises only a small fraction of the general sources of heat gases planet .
However, private planes still emit more than 33 million tons of greenhouse gases, more than the country in Denmark, and because they have so few people, they are five to 14 times more pollutants than commercial airplanes, by Passenger, and 50 times more pollutants than trains, researchers have found.
“These surprisingly short flights show the immense impact of the rich in the general aviation emissions,” said Scott Hochberg, a lawyer for the Climate Law Institute of the Center for Biological Diversity.
“The problem begins at the top with Kylie Jenner and other celebrities with private airplanes, which have a much greater impact than commercial planes per passenger. But it also includes many others, since the United States constitutes most of the rich elite that has the luxury of flying. “
Private airplanes emissions flown in the US. Short trips with private jets are not only an American phenomenon; In 2019, a tenth of all flights that left France were private airplanes, with half traveling less than 500 km. The frequent use of aviation is the domain of the rich in the world, with only 1% of the global population responsible for half of the emissions associated with the flight.
“There are many alternatives to private airplanes and wanting to travel with Polloi Hoi is not a sufficient reason for excessive pollution,” said Nikita Pavlenko, leader of the fuel team in the International Clean Transportation Council.
“These short flights have emissions that are small in relative terms, but per person are amazing. Aviation emissions are growing exponentially year after year and private polishing pollution is growing more than general aviation. “
The main US airlines have announced climatic plans that include commitments to increase the use of sustainable aviation fuels of low emission (or SAFS), such as kitchen or hydrogen oil, with the administration of Joe Biden last year Revealing a 20% cut in aviation aviation emissions for 2030. This objective, however, is volunteer and the industry has not been a significant change to reduce its climate impact.
“Aviation decarbonization is to a large extent that they speak and little substance in the United States,” said Pavlenko. “As for celebrities, they need to give a positive example and leave the planes. At least, they must exhibit some leadership and use sustainable fuels or a zero emission plane when that is available. “
