by WorldTribune Staff, January 24, 2018
Some 1,000 private jets flew a group of world elites in luxury to this year’s World Economic Forum at a ritzy ski resort in Davos, Switzerland.
When they arrived to talk about the impact of global warming (which many expect to get a pass on for the large carbon footprints they leave from flying in on the jets), the world leaders, business tycoons and rich celebrities were greeted by six feet of snow.
There was so much snow, authorities evacuated some neighborhoods due to avalanche concerns, CNBC reported, noting that “heavy snow had already blocked the rail line through the Alps from Zurich, and villages along the route were at the highest level of avalanche alert.”
In a speech at Davos on Jan. 23, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi defended globalization and called for joint action on climate change. Some delegates interpreted Modi’s comments as a swipe at U.S. President Donald Trump’s “America First” agenda, Reuters reported.
Trump is expected to close the forum with a speech on Jan. 26.
Meanwhile, airports around the Swiss ski resort will see the number of private jets increase 335 percent during Davos, according to Air Charter Service (ACS).
ACS found an average 218 private jet movements a day during the week-long forum, compared to the 65 daily flights Swiss airfields usually deal with.
Andy Christie, group director for executive jets at ACS, said clients last year opted for expensive “heavy jets” to their lighter, more environmentally-friendly alternatives, with Gulfstream GVs and Global Expresses both being used more than 100 times each.
“With the length of some of the journeys, these slightly larger aircraft would have been needed, but with such wealthy individuals attending, they can afford to use such aircraft from wherever they were coming – as well as the element of larger aircraft being seen as a status symbol,” Christie said.
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