Campaigners have urged the SNP Government to introduce a "punishingly high" tax on the use of private jets in Scotland. Oxfam Scotland said that if the tax is brought in from April 2027, rather than the following year as planned, it could raise almost £400 million by 2031.
Data shows nearly 13,000 private jet flights were recorded at Scotland's airports in 2023. Estimates suggest they emit up to 14 times more carbon per passenger than commercial flights.
Millionaire backs tax as 'addictive' luxury
Stephen Prince, the American vice-chairman of the Patriotic Millionaires group, described travelling by private jet as "addictive", adding that for the new levy to "bite" it must "be set high enough to make people think twice". The SNP Government has already consulted on taxing private jet flights out of Scotland to limit their use.
Prince added that by "punishing people's pockets" Scotland could help "inspire other countries to rein in private air travel and forge a new path in saving our shared planet". The millionaire businessman was speaking as modelling from Oxfam suggested a private jet tax set at 10 times the level of the higher rate of Air Passenger Duty (APD) could raise almost £122 million by the time of the next Holyrood election in May 2031.
Higher tax rate could raise £392 million
If the charge is set at 30 times the existing higher rate of APD, as proposed by Possible – which campaigns for "climate solutions which make low-carbon lifestyles the best way to live" – that total could rise to £392 million. Those figures are based on private jet use remaining at its existing level, with Oxfam having calculated there were 11,896 private jet flights either taking off or landing from Scottish airports in 2025.
Oxfam Scotland advocacy adviser Katherine May said: "John Swinney has promised action on private jets, now he needs to prove he means business. A weak tax, delayed or diluted, will change little – not emissions, not behaviour, not the money needed for climate action. Scotland's private jet tax must start in 2027, be set punishingly high to make passengers think twice and hit those who prioritise luxury travel over lives. At the moment, we see white trails in the sky, and climate destruction on the ground. The gap between excess and consequence is exactly what this policy has to close."
Campaigners call for tax to start in 2027
Prince, the founder of Card Market, said while private jet travel is "truly a luxury's luxury", he sold his plane three years ago amid concerns over its environmental impact. He said: "There are many perks to being rich, but chief among them is private air travel. It's truly a luxury's luxury, and while I've never used cocaine, I'd bet it's less addictive than having a jet on standby. Three years ago, after seeing the damage it causes, I made the difficult decision to sell my jet. But we can't rely on goodwill to cut emissions. What we can do, though, is make sure that private air travellers pay at least the cost they create through their selfish extravagance, but preferably more, as they can more than afford it. That's why I'm excited by the move in Scotland to make private jet passengers pay a new tax. But for it to bite, the price has to be set high enough to make people think twice. By punitively punishing people's pockets, Scotland can inspire other countries to rein in private air travel and forge a new path in saving our shared planet."
Campaigners at Stop Climate Chaos Scotland (SCCS) also backed calls for the private jet tax to start in April 2027. SCCS coalition manager Fraser Sutherland said: "Allowing the super-rich to jet about the globe without care for the people suffering the consequences of their luxury lifestyles is not only unfair but also a missed opportunity to raise crucial funds for action to protect the planet. The latest data shows greenhouse gas emissions from international aviation and shipping are growing rather than declining. Meanwhile, ordinary people are struggling to afford basic household bills, farmers and crofters are facing increasing challenges from climate breakdown. It's time for the polluters to pay for their privilege, with taxes raised to be spent on vital measures that will protect communities, jobs, health, energy and food security."
The Scottish Government has been contacted for comment.
