Work on private jet tax should start ‘immediately’, campaigners tell ministers

Ministers are being urged to start work “immediately” on a new tax on private jets as figures showed there have been more than 1,000 such flights a month on average during 2025.

New statistics from Oxfam showed in the first eight months of 2025 there were 8,162 recorded private jet flights taking off or landing at Scottish airports.

That gives a monthly average of 1,020 such flights in 2025 – with this slightly up from the average monthly total of 1,012 last year.

With more than 12,000 private jets taking off or landing in Scotland in 2024, Oxfam said there had been a “surge” in the number of these planes using Scottish Government-owned Glasgow Prestwick Airport.

First Minister John Swinney has previously described a tax on private jets as ‘interesting’ (Jane Barlow/PA). PA Media

The charity added that if a private jet tax had been in place, it could have raised around £20 million so far in 2025.

First Minister John Swinney last year described the possible policy as being “very interesting” – but now Oxfam have said he and the other parties in Scotland must commit to this “no-brainer fair tax”.

Jamie Livingstone, head of Oxfam Scotland, said bringing in a tax on private jets would “send a clear message that ultra-wealthy polluters won’t be allowed to continue to get off virtually scot-free while the rest of us foot the bill for their climate carnage”.

Mr Livingstone stated: “The First Minister says he’s ‘very sympathetic’ to the idea of a Scottish private jet tax, but sympathy doesn’t cut pointless pollution.

“Detailed preparatory work should start immediately and, ahead of the Scottish election, all parties must commit to this no-brainer fair tax.

“It’s beyond time for the richest polluters to pay up.”

The Oxfam Scotland boss made the plea as new research for the charity, published ahead of the Cop30 climate summit in Brazil in November, showed the 0.1% of richest people across the globe have increased their share of total emissions by almost a third (32%) since 1990.

Oxfam’s new Climate Plunder report found that, on average, the 0.1% richest people emit 46 times more carbon per year than a person from the poorest 50%.

Mr Livingstone said: “The climate crisis is an inequality crisis. Around the world, including here in Scotland, the wealthiest are fuelling climate destruction while ordinary people pay the price, from the devastating impacts of storms and flooding to rising bills.

“The UK and Scottish governments must help break the chokehold of the super-rich and make them pay up for their climate-wrecking behaviour through taxes on their wealth and luxury lifestyles.

“It’s time to revoke the super-rich’s licence to pollute and instead compel them to contribute fairly to solutions that protect us all.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said it was continuing to “explore all options” for implementing an air departure tax – adding it has to be done “in a way that protects Highlands and Islands connectivity while complying with subsidy control principles”.

The spokesperson added: “Rates and bands – including those for private jets – will be set once this has been resolved and prior to implementation of the tax.”