King Charles Warned To ‘Get His House in Order’ Over Private Jet

King Charles III’s private jet trip to Paris created just short of 100 times more carbon per person than taking the train, an aviation analyst told Newsweek.

The king spoke of the importance of fighting climate change in a historic speech before the country’s Senate after flying into Paris Orly Airport on a U.K. government private jet nicknamed the “Baby Voyager.”

The plane is among the most fuel efficient available but still created 7.35 tonnes of carbon, which would be equivalent to 368kg per passenger one-way, assuming there were around 20 people on board, experts at aviation consultancy IBA NetZero told Newsweek.

The popular Eurostar train service can take passengers the 214 miles from London to Paris through an undersea tunnel at a cost to the environment of around 4kg of carbon per passenger.

The just over one hour plane ride Charles took from Farnborough Airport to Paris Orly produced roughly 92 times as much carbon per passenger as the 2 hour and 15 minute train ride would have done.

U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak used the Eurostar to visit Paris as recently as March. Newsweek approached Buckingham Palace for comment.

Former U.K. government minister Norman Baker, author of royal book And What Do You Do?, told Newsweek: “Charles seems not to understand that he weakens his own message by his own behavior. His predilection for private jets and helicopters puts him in the top one percent of carbon emitters in the world.

“He’s hardly in a position to lecture other people from that great height. We need to get a grip of the issue, and I think Charles believes we need to get a grip of the issue.

“It’s a bad look and it undermines his message, which is an important one. He needs to get his house in order.”

Since flying into France by private jet, Charles stirred further criticism by flying onto Bordeaux from Paris rather than taking the train.

The French government has created new rules restricting flights of under the two hours and 30 minutes and French lawmaker Sandra Regol said Charles’s decision was “very disappointing.”

And it all comes after Charles warned global warming is the world’s biggest “existential challenge” during a speech in which he stressed its significance alongside that of the war in Ukraine.

“These horrifying events have once more demonstrated the fragility of so much that we hold dear,” he told the French Senate.

“Just as we stand together against military aggression [in Ukraine], so must we strive together to protect the world from our most existential challenge of all—that of global warming, climate change and the catastrophic destruction of nature.”

Danny Thurtle, aviation analyst on environment, society and governance [ESG] at consultants IBA NetZero, told Newsweek: “Earlier this week, King Charles flew to Paris as part of a 3-day state visit to France.

“The King and Queen Camilla were flown by charter airline, Titan Airways, on a 2-year-old Airbus A321-200neo (LR).

“While this is one of the most fuel-efficient commercial jets on the market, it’s designed to carry between 180-230 passengers on a maximum range of over 4,000 miles.

“The flight from Farnborough to Paris Orly was just 195 miles, and while we don’t know exactly how many passengers were on board, a quick search suggests it’s unlikely to be more than 20. For context, the [British] prime minister, Rishi Sunak, usually travels on a 12-seater RAF jet for domestic and short-haul international flights.

“If we assume 20 passengers were on board the A321neo, each passenger’s share of the total CO2 figure of 7.35 tonnes is around 368kg CO2, which we can double to 735kg to include the return leg.”

The CO2 emissions for the whole flight, of 7.35 tonnes, is just short of half America’s annual carbon emissions per person, which stand at 14.44 tonnes per capita, according to Statista.

The king’s private jet flight from Britain came a day before he praised the action taken by others to push for a greener, more sustainable future.

Charles told the French Senate: “Although the challenge facing our planet is both great and grave, it has been increasingly heartening to see the action that is being taken by our governments, our people and, more and more, by the private sector.

“I have long felt that our businesses can play a most vital role, working in partnership and harmony with our governments and our people, to channel trillions to the solutions that will enable a successful transition to a sustainable world.

“With President Macron, I will this afternoon be meeting business leaders from France and Britain whose collaboration, innovations and investments in clean growth and in preserving our precious biodiversity are offering essential global leadership.”

Jack Royston is Newsweek‘s chief royal correspondent based in London. You can find him on Twitter at @jack_royston and read his stories on Newsweek’s The Royals Facebook page.

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