Biden Signs FAA Bill into Law
On May 16, President Joe Biden signed a new amendment to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization bill. This amendment, which has stirred significant debate, allows private jet owners to anonymize their aircraft registration information, effectively shielding their flight activities from public view. This change comes after celebrities and billionaires voiced concerns over their flight data being too easily accessible online.
Impact on Jet Tracking
Before this amendment, private jet owners had to register their aircraft with the FAA’s civil registry, a publicly accessible database. This transparency allowed aviation enthusiasts and environmental activists to track private jet activity using radar mapping combined with registry data. It provided a clear picture of high-profile individuals’ travel habits and their environmental impact. However, the new law permits private jet owners to request anonymity, significantly limiting the public’s ability to monitor their flights.
Celebrity and Billionaire Influence
Several prominent figures have pushed for this change. For instance, Elon Musk threatened legal action against Jack Sweeney, a University of Florida student who created the “ElonJet” Twitter account in 2020 to track Musk’s private jet. When Musk bought Twitter in 2022, he initially shadowbanned and then completely banned Sweeney from the platform, now called X. However, Sweeney’s account has since been reinstated.
Taylor Swift has also faced public backlash over her extensive private jet use, largely due to Sweeney’s tracking. In 2023, Sweeney’s data revealed that Swift’s jets flew 178,000 miles, emitting 1,200 tons of CO2—83 times more than the average American’s annual emissions. Swift’s legal team responded with a cease-and-desist order to Sweeney.
Environmental Concerns and Accountability
Tracking the jet activity of wealthy individuals has been crucial for environmental accountability. The new law, however, obscures this data, making it harder to identify which celebrities are contributing most to CO2 emissions. Despite this legislative setback, some efforts to analyze and rank celebrities based on their private jet emissions continue.
Recent Study on Celebrity Jet Emissions
A study reported by Thrillist examined the private jet activity of celebrities from 2023 to 2024. It ranked celebrities by their CO2 emissions from private flights. Pitbull topped the list, emitting 4,549 metric tons of CO2 over 396 flights. Travis Scott followed with 3,760 metric tons from 203 flights, and Kim Kardashian emitted 3,204 metric tons over 210 flights. Taylor Swift was ranked 13th, with her jets emitting 1,055 metric tons of CO2 from 133 flights.
Implications of the New Law
The new FAA amendment is a significant win for celebrities and billionaires aiming to protect their privacy. However, it raises serious concerns about transparency and environmental accountability. The ability to hide flight data undermines efforts to monitor and reduce CO2 emissions from private jet travel, a significant contributor to climate change.
Reactions and Future Efforts
Environmental advocates and tracking enthusiasts like Jack Sweeney are likely dismayed by the new law. By making flight data difficult to access, the legislation could stymie public awareness and reduce pressure on high-profile individuals to adopt more sustainable practices. Nevertheless, ongoing studies and investigative efforts will continue to spotlight the environmental impact of private jet usage, promoting greater accountability.
