15 July 2025, Brussels, Today, the European Business Aviation Association (EBAA) joins the NBAA in strongly challenging the findings of a recent report on private jet emissions, stating the report relies on incomplete and unverified data, ignores the essential societal and economic role of business aviation, and promotes policy solutions that are both unrealistic and regressive.  

This report bases its claims on incomplete flight-tracking data. According to the authors themselves, nearly 12% of the dataset lacks either departure or arrival information, an omission that would disqualify serious analysis in any other transport sector.  

Emissions per passenger-kilometre is often used to criticise business aviation, but it’s a poor metric for a sector that operates fundamentally differently from mass transport. Business aviation is on-demand and tailored to specific needs, making direct comparisons misleading. 

These flights enable high-value economic activity, connect regions not served by airlines, and support urgent missions such as governmental flights, medical evacuations or disaster response. Judging the sector solely on emissions per passenger overlooks its essential role in Europe’s economy and connectivity. 

The value of business aviation extends well beyond the environmental footprint of a single flight. Its broader economic and societal impact cannot be captured by one environmental measure alone. 

Leading Oxford Economics research underscores the wider benefit: business aviation contributes roughly €100 billion annually to Europe’s GDP. It sustains around €44 billion in direct economic output and a further €56 billion through supply chains, supporting 374,000 jobs in Europe. 

The same study shows that restrictive policies could threaten up to €120 billion in foreign direct investment and as many as 104,000 jobs by 2030  

“This report overlooks the very essence of business aviation — a sector that connects communities, supports urgent medical and governmental missions, and drives over €100 billion in economic value across Europe,” said Róman Kok, Director of Public Affairs and Communications at EBAA. “Reducing its role to a single emissions metric based on incomplete data is not only misleading, it risks undermining the vital services and innovation that business aviation delivers every day.” 

Setting the record straight 

In Europe, business aviation connects over 1,000 airports that commercial airlines do not serve. While the European airline network covers approximately 10,000 city pairs, business aviation connects an astonishing 80,000 routes—eight times more. Of those, 90% have no scheduled airline alternative, and three-quarters are entirely unserved by airlines. These are not niche or redundant services. They are crucial links in a fragmented and complex transport landscape.  

On-demand aviation enables over 70 medical missions every day, supports crisis response, emergency evacuations and diplomatic travel, and yet contributes less than 0.04% of total EU emissions. 

Scheduled transport systems such as trains and commercial airlines do their best to accommodate the majority of demand, but they will never cover all destinations, time constraints or specialist needs. Business aviation exists to bridge that gap. 

It is frequently the only viable option when time is critical, when destinations are hard to reach, when specific cargo must be carried, or when high-stakes decisions need to be executed at short notice. 

At the same time, business aviation is not lagging behind on sustainability. It is, in fact, a front-runner: 

• New aircraft are up to 35% more fuel-efficient than previous generations. 

• Over the past 40 years, the sector has already reduced emissions by 40%. 

• It is committed to net-zero emissions by 2050, with a clear roadmap centred on: 

• Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), which can reduce lifecycle emissions by up to 80%—though availability and cost remain key challenges. 

• Breakthroughs in hybrid, electric, and hydrogen propulsion systems. 

Unrealistic policy recommendations risk setting Europe back 

Rather than acknowledging the sector’s progress, the report calls for blunt bans and blanket fiscal penalties, ignoring the strategic decarbonisation roadmap already in motion. 

The Oxford Economics study commissioned by EBAA and GAMA shows what’s at stake: restrictive policies could put €120 billion in foreign direct investment and more than 100,000 jobs at risk by 2030. Unpredictable taxation, fragmented regulation, and negative public messaging don’t just threaten emissions leakage — they risk driving away innovation, investment, and talent. 

Among the proposed measures are: 

• New fuel efficiency mandates; 

• Mandatory SAF uptake without addressing supply and distribution challenges, 

• Emissions or fuel taxes (e.g. $0.42/L or $1.59/gallon), 

• Distance-based or “luxury” levies on so-called non-essential flights. 

These may appear simple solutions on paper, but in practice they are regressive and counterproductive. The business aviation sector already falls under the ReFuelEU Aviation, which introduced mandatory SAF targets. However, SAF remains 3 to 10 times more expensive than fossil fuel, and supply is both limited and uneven across Europe. 

To succeed, policy must support rather than punish. Mechanisms like book-and-claim can bridge the SAF accessibility gap, allowing operators to invest in sustainable fuels regardless of where they uplift. Likewise, accelerating the implementation of the Single European Sky would improve route efficiency and significantly reduce avoidable emissions by up to 10%, benefiting all of aviation, not just business jets. 

What’s missing from the report is a recognition of business aviation’s role as a testbed for clean aviation technologies. From hybrid-electric aircraft to advanced propulsion systems, the sector continues to drive innovation that filters into the wider aviation ecosystem. 

Rather than blunt restrictions, Europe needs a smart, enabling framework, one that treats business aviation not as a problem, but as a partner in reaching net-zero.