SINGAPORE: A Jan 17 (Friday) report in CNA about the rising demand for private jet services in Singapore elicited strong reactions from local Reddit users concerned about the effect of private jets on the environment.
CNA reported that the current demand for private jet services is 30 per cent higher than it was before the COVID-19 pandemic, based on non-public data from the New York-based Alton Aviation Consultancy.
At the end of 2023, there were 74 private jets based in Singapore, compared with 45 jets in Malaysia, 56 in Indonesia and 41 in Thailand. Five jet charter companies in Singapore told CNA that the demand for their services has risen, with one noting “hefty growth over the past three years”.
The growth is largely due to Singapore’s status as a business and financial hub, the report added. The senior leadership of companies needs “point-to-point travel that is quick, efficient and flexible; and at best with some privacy”, said one industry expert quoted in the CNA article.
The number of ultra-wealthy is growing every year in Singapore, and no expense is spared when they travel.
Commenters on Reddit Singapore, however, did not seem too pleased with the report. Many griped about having to pay for plastic bags following a government decision to cut down on single-use items that affect the environment while the rich travel in private jets, which harm the atmosphere.
A November 2024 piece in National Geographic cites a new study that says individuals who regularly fly on private aircraft may produce nearly 500 times more carbon in a year “compared to the average person worldwide”.
“So why am I paying ten cents for plastic bags and reducing my water usage if this still happens?” asked one Reddit user.
Another sarcastically compared their life sorting recyclables and using reusable bags to “one hour on a private jet”.
A Reddit user opined that paying for plastic bags and eliminating plastic straws were “just for show”.
While the commenters’ sentiments are understandable, there is no denying the impact of single-use plastic items on the environment as well. A study published by the University of Colorado in December 2023 says that extracting the fossil fuels that make up plastic, as well as transporting them to factories, emits 1.5 to 12.5 million metric tons of greenhouse gases yearly. Moreover, plastic is one of the biggest contributors to pollution in oceans and other bodies of water. /TISG
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