Just Stop Oil Protesters Target Taylor Swifts Private Jet

​​The latest move by environmental activist group “Just Stop Oil” occurred on the morning of Friday June 20, when protesters broke into London Stansted Airport (STN) and sprayed private jets . Protesters aimed to spray down Taylor Swift’s private jet, parked at London airport. Swift is currently touring England and Wales until Sunday.

The incident

On the morning of Thursday, June 19, protesters from the environmental group Just Stop Oil stormed the private jet tarmac at London Stansted Airport (STN). Activists said their goal was to paint Taylor Swift’s private jet orange to draw attention to environmental activism. After breaking in, the protesters, later identified as Jennifer Kowalski and Cole Macdonald, randomly sprayed private jets with orange paint dispensed from fire extinguishers. Minutes after the activists set foot on the tarmac at Stansted Airport, police were on scene and arrested the two women. After the incident, it was confirmed that Taylor Swift’s private jet – a Dassault Falcon 7X – had not been vandalized or where environmental activists had painted the private jets. However, Swift’s plane was parked at Stansted Airport.

A video posted on X by Just Stop Oil shows how the activists broke into Stansted Airport. The video shows one of the activists (Ms. Kowalski or Ms. Macdonald) using what appears to be a small circular saw to cut through the airport fence. The video goes on to show the activists spraying private jets orange. In the same article on X, Just Stop Oil claimed that activists were “…demanding an end to fossil fuels by 2030.”

In response to the break-in, London Stansted Airport (STN) temporarily suspended runway operations for “a short period” while the situation was assessed and no flights were disrupted. Following the incident, Essex Police Chief Commissioner Simon Anslow said the police presence in and around Stansted Airport “will be increased” following the incident. “…I would like to reassure passengers and the general public that we are well prepared and well-resourced to deal with incidents of this nature…” Anslow said.

This latest demonstration is just one of many organized across the UK in recent weeks by Just Stop Oil protesters. On Wednesday June 19, two activists were arrested after spraying the famous British archaeological site of Stonehenge.

In recent years, Taylor Swift has come under fire from environmental and climate change activists, who have criticized her use (or what some might consider “abuse”) of private jet travel. A popular example frequently cited by critics to illustrate Taylor Swift’s excessive use of private jets occurred last year when her private jet flew for just eight minutes between two airports in North Los Angeles. Another infamous example occurred in January 2024, when Swift’s private jet flew between Cahokia/St. Louis Illinois and St. Louis Missouri – a 13 minute flight. In 2022, Swift “…topped a list of celebrities…” who produced the most carbon emissions by private jet. According to its spokesperson, Swift purchases carbon credits to offset its use of jets, but this cannot be confirmed.

According to Just Stop Oil, “…Just 15 people are responsible for 50% of global aviation emissions. Private jet users are responsible for up to 14 times (times) more carbon emissions compared to A single flight on a private jet can easily emit as much carbon dioxide as the average annual carbon footprint of an EU citizen…”

Don’t let these numbers mislead you. Yes, aviation is the most carbon-emitting means of transport. Yet the aviation industry only accounts for 2.5% of global carbon emissions. The vast majority of emissions from the aviation industry come from commercial flights, but because commercial flights carry more passengers, CO2 and greenhouse gas emissions per person are reduced.