We all have the right to live in a safe climate, and have enough not just to survive – but to thrive. The gross display of excess wealth that is the use of private jets is a slap in the face to the thousands of New Zealanders doing it tough.

Over the last decade, private jet use has almost doubled, with private jet flights generating 15 times more carbon emissions per person than commercial flights.

There are now even private terminals at airports like Queenstown, Christchurch and Auckland for uber-rich clients who fly in and out of the city by corporate jet. The impacts of the climate crisis are already harming people around the world who will never set foot on a plane, let alone a private jet. Each private jet flight pays just a third of the government (civil aviation) fees that that commercial flights pay.

The climate crisis is not in transit – it has arrived at the gate. It’s in our skies, our water, and our land – with record-shattering heat waves, increasingly severe wildfires and flooding from superstorms and rising seas.

While the climate burns and New Zealanders struggle with the cost of living, the ultra rich fly around in private jets, burning the climate while the rest of us suffer. We need urgent action to cut emissions -and it makes sense to start with the emissions which are most wasteful and least beneficial.

Other countries are taking action – France is planning a 70% ‘supertax’ on private aviation fuel, and airports in the Netherlands are already restricting private jets, moving towards a ban.

Let’s take action to end the use of private jets in Aotearoa.