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Private jets owned by Scotland’s richest man and environmental champion, Anders Holch Povlsen, have made over 1,000 flights in the last four years.
The private planes – operated by Povlsen’s commercial airline Blackbird Air – have flown at least 1,115 trips since 2020 according to an investigation by DR, the public broadcaster in his native Denmark.
They included flights to the holiday island of Mallorca and cities including Paris, Stockholm and Oslo.
Blackbird mostly leases the private jets out to other companies and individuals both in Denmark and abroad so Povlsen will only have been on a small number of these flights.
But there were 42 flights to Inverness airport, close to the sprawling Highland estates owned by Povlsen and his company confirmed he was on board some of these.
A series of flights were made back and forth between Denmark and Inverness in June 2023, shortly before Povlsen celebrated his 50th birthday at Aldourie Castle on the banks of Loch Ness.
Popstar Lionel Richie was reportedly flown in via Inverness to perform at the bash.
Povlsen is Scotland’s largest private landowner and has received plaudits from environmentalists for the rewilding projects he undertakes on his land.
His company has said it wants to restore parts of the Highlands it owns to their “former natural splendour” and create a landscape “varied enough to mitigate the effects of climate change”.
However, the head of Oxfam Scotland, Jamie Livingstone, told The Ferret that private jets are the “ultimate symbol of carbon inequality” and a form of “egregious climate vandalism”.
Private flights are considered to be five to 14 times more polluting per passenger than commercial flights, and 50 times worse for the climate than trains.
Oxfam has called for the introduction of a tax on private jets which it has claimed could have raised over £20m last year.
Livingstone added: “As climate disasters wreak havoc on communities across the world, the wealthiest people and corporations continue to pollute with impunity.
“Our analysis shows there were nearly 13,000 recorded private jet flights involving Scotland’s airports last year.”
The introduction of a private jet tax could raise “crucial new revenue to invest in green initiatives that would benefit us all”, Livingstone argued.
The Scottish Greens are also campaigning for the introduction of a tax on private jets. Green MSP, Mark Ruskell, said private jets were “incredibly damaging and destructive” and incompatible with attempts to reach net zero.
“It is long past time for us to properly tax private jet travel in a way that recognises their huge environmental impact and deters the wealthy few from using them.”
Povlsen made his fortune as the boss of clothes retailer Bestseller and was ranked as Scotland’s richest man in 2024. He is also the biggest shareholder in the fast-fashion brand, Asos, and has a reported net worth of £6.7bn.
Kristian Tvergaard, chief executive of Blackbird Air, said the company was “very conscious of the emissions associated with air travel and the travel industry”.
“Therefore we strive to have new, fuel efficient aircraft, and we are working hard to secure even more SAF fuel for our flights. This type of fuel can contribute to a reduced overall emission and be a better alternative to the fuel typically used in aircraft,” he added.
The company argued it often works with global firms who have complex transportation needs, such as flying to locations with no direct flights or where specific security needs have to be considered.
In a response to The Ferret the company was keen to point out that Blackbird does not fly exclusively for Povlsen or staff of any of his companies and that the 1,115 private flights were spread out between Danish and international clients.
Bestseller told DR that Povlsen’s use of private jets was from a desire for discretion and due to security considerations. The vast majority of the flights to Inverness had a “business purpose”, it added.
Cover image thanks to iStock/Franco Ercolino
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