Celebrities have faced backlash for taking short private jet flights, a trend that highlights the environmental costs of this type of travel.
Earlier this month, Kylie Jenner drew scrutiny after sharing a photo on Instagram showing her partner Travis Scott beside two private jets. The caption invited questions about private air travel choices and fuel use.
The controversy grew as the stars traveled by jet to California, a trip that lasts roughly 12 minutes and could arguably be completed by car or rail in many cases.
Yet the larger issue is the environmental impact. Private jets carry a far higher carbon footprint per passenger than commercial flights because there are far fewer people on board, which means more emissions per traveler overall.
Taylor Swift and Private Jet Emissions
In a comprehensive Yard study, Taylor Swift’s private jet activity appears among the most polluting in early 2022, based on thousands of flight records from the Celebrity Jets database. While Kylie Jenner did not make the top ten, Travis Scott ranked tenth in emissions per jet trip.
The results sparked widespread discussion across social networks about sustainability and the tension between public messages about recycling and personal travel choices. A rising share of online users noted the discrepancy between eco-friendly messaging and the carbon cost of private air travel.
For instance, a commenter noted that even if small steps are taken to reduce plastic waste, soaring emissions from private flights can overshadow those efforts. The contrast between environmental advocacy and travel habits was frequently debated in online communities.
In response to the coverage, a spokesperson for the Swift camp explained that the jet involved was regularly loaned out to various individuals, complicating attributions of total emissions to a single person. This clarification underscored the importance of precise accounting in public discussions about celebrity travel.
Study Results
The Yard data indicate that, on average, notable figures emit roughly 3,376.64 tons of CO2 from private jet use in 2022. This figure dwarfs the average citizen’s annual emissions, which average around seven tons. The study also notes that the typical private jet flight lasts about 71.77 minutes and covers roughly 66.92 miles, or around 106 kilometers, per trip.