The skies over Davos were said to have darkened last week as 1,700 private jets delivered the world’s elite to its annual convocation. You can picture the moment: a shepherd’s child on an Alpine mountain pointing at one, then two, then a vast fleet of hawk-like aircraft materialising with their consignment of power brokers, roaring overhead as the sheep scatter in panic.
But wait. There is a problem with this awesome scene of inequality. The much reported figure of 1,700 jets is a fantasy. Financial journalist Felix Salmon has done the legwork and estimated the actual total to be about 200. So why was the inflated figure so eagerly believed?
The answer lies in the powerful hold of private jet travel on the popular imagination. It is the ultimate symbol of wealth, more so than mansions or limousines or the humble helicopter. It provokes resentment; yet it is also glamorous and exciting. Private jets titillate the non-private jet-flying classes even while offending them. The result is a combustible combination of moralism and desire.