Jet-setting during COVID-19: Environmental implications of the pandemic induced private aviation boom

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the nature of air travel throughout the world. One notable change in air travel is the significant increase in the use of private aviation relative to commercial air travel. Although some of the initial environmental impacts of COVID-19 transportation disruptions have been previously examined, little attention has been given to changes in private aviation usage. In general, there is a lack of academic literature that addresses private aviation operations and its impact on emissions. The purpose of this study is to fill that gap by analyzing the environmental implications of the COVID-19 induced shift toward private aviation in the U.S. We find that the number of private aviation flights in the U.S. increased by 20% after the beginning of the pandemic, which resulted in an increase of CO₂-equivalent emissions by 23%. Further, analyses of long-run scenarios suggest that overall private air travel emissions will likely exceed 770 megatons of CO₂-equivalent in the next three years.