UK:IT'S THE ultimate dilemma for the seriously rich with a conscience - how to enjoy private jet travel without the guilt about carbon footprints.
But now a scheme has been set up which claims to allow travellers the chance to cut their carbon emissions without compromising on the luxury and sheer convenience such flights offer.
Jet-sharing, based on the kind of car-sharing scheme popular with the eco-conscious, is the latest concept to emerge from Britain's booming market in private jet hire. Launched by Private Jet Club, a London jet brokerage company, the service encourages members to avoid the expense and environmental impact of hiring an entire aircraft by sharing it with like-minded individuals.
"A lot of people like to have a stab at the super-rich," said Alex Hunter, director of the Private Jet Club. "They see jet travel as unnecessary expenditure and unnecessary carbon emissions. But it is necessary for people whose itinerary cannot be dictated by commercial airlines."
Private Jet Club plans to begin with flights to London, Dubai, Paris, Milan and Geneva. But it is also happy to accommodate people who want to travel to football tournaments or to New York for those increasingly popular shopping trips.
Environmentalists, however, are deeply sceptical. Jeff Gazzard, of the Aviation Environment Federation, described it as "the equivalent of taking a Rolls-Royce on the school run, and justifying it by letting the neighbours' kids ride too". - ( Guardian service)