The environmental organisation Robin Wood published a study on private jet flights at Hamburg Airport on 29 October 2026. According to the study, a total of 20,949 private jet take-offs and landings were recorded between 2023 and 2025. The most popular destinations were Palma de Mallorca with 448, and Sylt with 441 movements. The underlying analysis was carried out by the Dutch research institute CE Delft.
The authors estimate the climate impact over the three-year period from 2023 to 2025 at around 128,000 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent. Robin Wood considers emissions from private jets taking off in Hamburg in 2025 alone to be particularly high. The organisation compares the annual climate impact with the footprint of several thousand city residents. The figures come from the study and are estimates; there is no official emissions accounting specifically for private jets.
Robin Wood is calling for an immediate ban on private jet take-offs and landings at Hamburg Airport. It cites Hamburg’s climate targets, particularly the goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2040. The organisation points out that a considerable proportion of the flights are short-haul journeys, including trips to Sylt, which can also be reached without flying. This is the environmental organisation’s position.
The study presents the trend as a continuation of a pattern evident since 2023: a large proportion of private business and leisure flights go to destinations in Europe. Palma de Mallorca and Sylt are particularly popular. Independent reports by NDR and Tagesschau have picked up the new figures and placed them in the context of the ongoing debate about climate action in aviation.
Politically, the The Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg is in a position to act as the airport’s majority shareholder. According to Robin Wood, the city could use fees, slots and conditions to create incentives or consider restrictions. What interventions are legally possible and economically viable remains unclear and is the subject of further examination. Representatives of politics, the administration and airport operations are also likely to weigh the effects on scheduled services, the attractiveness of the location and noise protection.
The study’s main findings cover the period from 2023 to 2025 and were presented on 29 October 2026. They are therefore newly published, up-to-date analyses that could reignite debate in Hamburg and beyond.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).