Poll results: Should private jets be banned?

In August 2024 it was reported that incoming Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol would be commuting to the company’s Seattle HQ by private jet from his California home. What’s more, the former Chipotle boss (is there no end to this man’s talents?) would be making the journey up to three times a week, as per Starbucks’ hybrid workplace policies. 

Naturally, Starbucks will be footing the bill for the private jet, alongside Niccol’s bumper pay packet, which could be worth up to $113m in the first year with bonuses. Interesting reading for the Starbucks workforce in the US that has been trying to unionise – in the face of massive opposition from the company – since the 1980s.  

Union busting aside, how Starbucks decides to fire and hire and wield its corporate power should largely be a matter for the coffee giant itself. However, the company has been keen to position itself as a sustainable business in recent times. In 2018, Starbucks announced a $10m initiative to ‘develop a fully recyclable and compostable global cup solution’ – a solution that has yet to materialise. One estimate puts the cost of Niccol’s private jet commute as high as $8m per year, with CO2 emissions in excess of 700 tons. Make sure you don’t use a plastic straw next time you order a caramel frappe though, yeah?

Niccol may be the latest bête noire in the PJ wars, but he is unlikely to be the most egregious offender, even if he is making the 1000-mile commute three times each week. The private jet use of ultra-famous and ultra-wealthy individuals such as Taylor Swift and Elon Musk has come under increasing scrutiny, and environmental activists have sought to ramp up pressure to outlaw or at least restrict their use.

Per passenger, private planes are up to 14 times more polluting than commercial planes, and 50 times more polluting than trains. Against these figures, it’s worth remembering that more than 80 per cent of the world’s population have never set foot on a plane of any description.

Outside of certain exceptions for high-level government figures, is it time to ban the use of private jet travel? Your thoughts are welcome in the comments section below.