In another win in the Netherlands, Eindhoven Airport announced today that it intends to ban private jets from the airport from 2026, with the exclusion of electric aircraft.

This is not perfect, given the announcement is neither legally binding nor inclusive of all private jets but it is a step in the right direction that will continue to move the dial against the aviation industry and to fuel the strength of the movement that successfully forced this change. Moreover, these flight stops will not simply be replaced by commercial flights, but will rather initiate a reduction in the total number of flights at the airport.

The airport admitted that private jets, which are up to 30 times more polluting per passenger than commercial aviation, and which overwhelmingly serve the super-rich, do not serve the good of the local area or the planet. They stated, “as private flights have a relatively large noise and CO2 footprint per passenger and only marginally meet our region’s mobility needs, we have decided not to allow them at Eindhoven Airport from 2026,” announced the airport.

The goal is part of a wider range of measures intended to reduce the climate and social impact of the airport, which otherwise includes the requirement for airlines to use a 20 percent SAF blend at the site from 2030

As we know, measures like this are not a golden bullet – the only sustainable future for the aviation industry is degrowth. But it is a direction change worth celebrating that would not have come with the hard work of civil society. So celebrate we shall.