A private jet executive has rejected criticism that his industry was a prime greenhouse gas emitter, claiming that pets polluted as much if not more as demand for the luxury transportation soars.
Patrick Hansen, chief executive of Luxembourg-based Luxaviation, told the FT’s Business of Luxury summit in Monaco that one of his company’s customers produces about 2.1 tonnes of CO₂ per year, or about the same amount as three cats — before a spokesperson rectified offstage that he meant three dogs.
The industry was aware about the urgency to limit its carbon footprint but the data must “be put into perspective,” Hansen said during a panel discussion on Tuesday. He added that private flights were “not going away, because they provide a service of time” to the wealthy.