A group of former pilots in Europe is strongly criticizing Hollywood actors and movie executives who are arriving at this year's Cannes Film Festival in private jets, calling the practice obscene amid a global fuel crisis and climate change concerns.
They have joined millionaire activists in urging A-list celebrities and industry leaders to fly economy or take the train to reduce their carbon footprint while attending the glitzy event in the French Riviera.
Fuel Prices Soar After Strait of Hormuz Closure
Fuel prices have dramatically risen globally since Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial route for shipping oil and other goods in the Middle East, in response to military attacks by the United States and Israel. The narrow waterway accounts for about 20% of the global oil and fuel supply.
Anthony Viaux, a former Air France pilot with more than two decades of experience, told Euronews.com that the rich and famous burning through scarce fuel to get to a film festival is not just tone-deaf but obscene. Viaux said his career gave him a front-row seat to the effects of climate change and called on policymakers at the European Union to tighten carbon tax rules.
Most Private Jets Exempted from Carbon Tax
Two-thirds of private jets and all international flights are exempted from paying the EU carbon tax, which every commercial passenger flying within the EU must pay. This loophole has drawn criticism from activists and former pilots alike.
Katie Thompson, a former private jet pilot, stated there is no excuse for celebrities to fly on private jets given the fuel crisis. She emphasized that with climate change accelerating, this reckless excess is outrageous, especially when limited available fuel is desperately needed elsewhere for basic food production, disaster relief efforts, and other humanitarian emergencies.
Pedro Pascal Set an Example
Thompson highlighted award-winning actor Pedro Pascal, who arrived at Cannes on an economy flight last year, urging other celebrities to follow his lead. She said there is no reason why the rest cannot do the same or take the train where possible, adding that we are all in this together.
A report cited research from the non-governmental organization Transport and Environment, which found that private jet travel to and from the Cannes Film Festival last year burned through approximately two million litres of fuel. That amount is equivalent to a car driving 30 million kilometres, or circling the equator roughly 750 times.
Julia Davies, a member of Patriotic Millionaires UK, called for closing carbon tax loopholes on private jet travel within the EU. She noted that private jets are a luxury only the very wealthiest few can afford, yet most of these flights are still not subject to fuel or carbon taxes that the majority of people pay every day as they travel to work. She stressed that amid a fuel and accelerating climate crisis, fixing this means grounding private jets to protect fuel for vital services, including ambulances, and ensuring that private jets pay at least the same taxes as a care worker pays traveling to vulnerable clients.
