The European Business Aviation Association (EBAA) has commented on the study on business aviation by Transport & Environment (T&E) to highlight the European sector has been working diligently towards decarbonisation through its own commitment on climate change since 2009.
The report, called “Private jets: can the super rich supercharge zero-emission aviation?” by Brussels based NGO Transport & Environment, goes into depth on the evolution of Business aviation emissions in the most recent years and suggests that there are few arguments to be made in defending the existence of the sector.
EBAA stated that it notes the publication of the report and welcomes the opportunity to point out much of the work that is currently being done by the sector towards a carbon-neutral future, including a long-term commitment to reducing its environmental impact, advocating the use of sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs), and noting the sector's developmental work and earlier adoption of new technologies, including the use of battery power for short-range aircraft.
The EBAA says that the study “underestimates the use-case of business aviation”, justified by subjective levels of appreciation. Furthermore, a peak in summer flight movements is used to disprove the use of unscheduled aviation for business purposes. EBAA states that it considers this as a "false alternative: an increase in summertime movements does not discount the many uses of Business aviation throughout the year".
“Since the conception of Business aviation in Europe, the sector has grown to be a substantial contributor to the European economy and society,” said EBAA Secretary-General Athar Husain Khan. “Our track record shows we welcome a greater push towards a sustainable Business aviation sector, but it’s important we do not misrepresent the true economic value, business benefit and societal impact the sector truly makes.”