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Revealed: 5,000 empty ‘ghost flights’ in UK since 2019, data shows
(The Guardian, 28 Sep 2022) Exclusive: A further 35,000 flights have operated almost empty, with climate campaigners calling the revelations ‘shocking’.
More than 5,000 completely empty passenger flights have flown to or from UK airports since 2019, the Guardian can reveal.
A further 35,000 commercial flights have operated almost empty since 2019, with fewer than 10% of seats filled, according to analysis of data from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). This makes a total of about 40,000 “ghost flights”.
In one quarter, for example, 62 empty planes left Luton airport for Poland, while in another, Heathrow saw 663 almost empty flights going to and from the US. Both quarters were during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Air travel results in more carbon emissions an hour than any other consumer activity and is dominated by a minority of frequent flyers, making it a focus of climate campaigners. They called the ghost flight revelations “shocking” and said a jet fuel tax was needed and airport expansion plans should be questioned. The UK government describes ghost flights as “environmentally damaging”.
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The Guardian, 28 Sep 2022: Revealed: 5,000 empty ‘ghost flights’ in UK since 2019, data shows
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