Press release. Brussels, 30 March 2023.
Today, reports appeared in the media about a report commissioned by Greenpeace from CE Delft. The report claims increase with 6%4 in 2022 of private flights in the EU and that increased number of private flights from Dutch airports with 87% percent compared to the previous year.
The report also states that the CO2 emissions increased twice from all private flights from the Netherlands in 2022 and nearly 8 times comparing with COVID-19 of 2020.
EBAA underlines that the data provided is incorrect. The study presents a misleading picture of the progress in our industry by excluding data from before the COVID-19. It is regretful that the dataset utilized is not based on information from the European agency Eurocontrol, specifically:
Eurocontrol latest report shows that European business aviation has grown by 7 percent instead of 64%.
Greenpeace compares the number of European business flights to a historically low moment during the COVID-19 issue rather than a typical year with no travel restrictions. Even if it did not truly happen, this gives the impression of enormous growth.
Greenpeace ignores context.
Greenpeace regularly fails to take business aviation into account. Business aviation makes up a relatively tiny part of the aviation industry overall and has a negligibly small impact on global CO2 emissions.
Business aviation industry is a leading one in sustainability.
Despite what Greenpeace would have you believe, business aviation is promoting aviation sustainability. The Business Aviation Commitment on Climate Change (BACCC) was signed by the industry in 2009. In 2021, these targets were made even more stringent. For instance, the business aviation industry is interested in reducing emissions to zero by the year 2050 using new technologies, working on hybrid and electric planes, using SAF etc.
