A CHARITY has said a private jet tax could help bring enough money in to keep all day off-peak rail fares through the end of the year.
A report published by Oxfam has spelled out a plan for flight taxation that could see £21.5 million per year generated for the Scottish Government.
It also found that there were 12,911 recorded private jet flights in Scotland in 2023, 6% of the UK's total.
Jamie Livingstone, head of Oxfam Scotland, said: “Private jets are an egregious form of climate vandalism, fuelling irreversible damage to our planet.
"While the ultra-wealthy live in planet-destroying excess, people living in poverty the world over are paying the price.
"The Scottish and UK Governments must stop stalling and urgently unlock the irresponsible impasse to ensure that those who pollute the most – and who can afford it the most – pay to clean up the climate cost of their lavish lifestyles.”
According to the charity, their £21.5m estimate is a combination of the Scottish Government's planned Air Departure Tax (ADT) as it stands, as well as new private jet tax implemented into the ADT.
Their report says the figure is enough to cover the off-peak rail fares trial to the end of the year, or to prevent cuts to the Scottish Government's Sustainable and Active Travel budget.
Oxfam says ADT in its current form can easily be adapted to include private jets.
