Duke of Sussex says private jet use essential for his family's safety

The Duke of Sussex has defended his use of private jets, saying the “unique circumstances” of his family’s safety made it sometimes essential and promising to "balance out the impact that I have".

The Duke, who spoke as he launched an eco-tourism initiative in Amsterdam, insisted he would never choose to fly privately if there were other options and admitted "we can all do better" when it comes to sustainable travel.

Saying “99 per cent” of his flights were commercial, he told an audience he had always offset his carbon footprint but noted that, when it comes to the “alarming” threats to the planet, “no-one is perfect” in their actions.

The Duke flew commercially to Amsterdam to launch Travalyst, a new collaboration between companies Booking.com, Ctrip, Skyscanner, TripAdvisor and VISA to find solutions to the threats facing the planet as a result of the growing tourism industry.

Asked directly about his own travel choices as he hosted a Q&A, the Duke said: "I came here [to Amsterdam] on commercial.

"I spend 99 per cent of my life travelling the world by commercial.

"Occasionally there needs to be an opportunity based on unique circumstance to ensure that my family are safe.

"It's genuinely as simple as that. But as I said in my speech, it is about balance.

"If I have to do that - and it's not a decision I would want to take but if I have to do that - then I will ensure, as I have done previously and will continue to ensure that I do, is to balance out the impact that I have.

"I've always offset my CO2. In my mind it's the right thing to do. We need to make it cool. It can't just be a ticking-the-box exercise.

"Somehow we need to connect people to where this money is actually going and the moment you have that connection, feel you have a bigger connection in life and you can actually see the difference that you're making, then I think that's acceptable."

Earlier in the Q&A, the Duke had raised the issue himself by asking the panel: "Is the solution to sustainable aviation not encouraging people to fly less often?"

Jane Sun, CEO of Ctrip, replied that the solution lies in "investing in technology" to improve fuel efficiency and make plane travel time shorter and less environmentally damaging.

In a speech, the Duke outlined his hopes that the public will soon be able to select “sustainable” travel options as a default, allowing developing countries to benefit directly from tourism and halt the destruction caused by too many visitors.

The result of two years of private meetings, the Travalyst collaboration will announce the results of its research and the tangible projects inspired by it over the coming months.

The launch, at the A’dam Tower, comes just weeks after the Duke faced accusations of hypocrisy for a string of overseas trips by private jets this summer which appeared to be in contrast to his public words on the environment.

One trip allegedly saw him fly to Sicily to deliver a barefoot speech about the environment to billionaires and celebrities at Google Camp, and he also took holidays to Ibiza and Nice with his wife and son.

While other members of the Royal Family also fly by private charter, the Sussexes travel plans became a worldwide talking point after celebrities including Sir Elton John cited threats to their safety.

In the same month, the Cambridges were photographed flying with members of the public from Norfolk to Scotland with their three small children on budget airline FlyBe.

The Duke said: “Sometimes the scale of the conservation crisis feels overwhelming and that individual actions can’t make a difference.

“I’ve certainly felt that – but I’ve learned that we cannot dismiss the idea of trying to do something, just because we can’t do everything.

“We can all do better. And while no one is perfect, we are all responsible for our own individual impact; the question is what we do to balance it out.”

The Duke, who believes the wider benefits of travel outweigh calls from the green lobby to cut down on flying altogether, now hopes companies can find a way to make eco-friendly option the default for members of the public at all price points.

Opening his remarks by conceding he is “not an expert”, he said his own travel as a working royal had “given me a unique perspective on the issues the world faces, and an opportunity to meet a diverse range of communities— to hear them describe their problems as well as their ideas for solutions”.

Saying he had been particularly struck by one small boy in the Caribbean who told him: “Because of your country, my country’s coral reef is dying”, he said: “These human-caused challenges often need a giant system shift to make a significant enough impact.

“And that is what this partnership is here to try and do. But just because it is such a massive undertaking, doesn’t mean we can’t all play our part."

Of his hopes for encouraging change, he said people are now "speaking up" in the hopes of making their own travel more sustainable but can be left overwhelmed by the scale of the problem.

“They want to see the world, but they also want to know that with all the good that they take home - souvenirs, memories, photos- that they leave just as much good behind," he said.

“They want a paradigm shift and I believe one is coming. I believe we can—and we must—find new ways to minimise the dangers and maximise the opportunities of tourism.

“More and more people will travel, and we can’t stop that, nor would we want to, because it truly opens our minds and broadens our horizons.

“We seek to appreciate what is different… and to find what connects us.

“Travel expands our understanding of the world, it breaks down barriers and preconceptions, it also offers us an escape.

“It can also deepen our sense of obligation to this borrowed place we call home.”

The Duke’s speech echoes much of what his father, the Prince of Wales, has warned of for years, referencing the “alarming” lack of “symbiosis or connection” between community, the environment and its visiting tourists.

In particular, he said, he hopes to find a way for developing communities to benefit from the tourist industries they serve.

A spokesman said Travalyst had offset the environmental costs for the event, including flights for all attendees.