Kevin Hart got people talking after he referred to commercial aircraft as "pedestrian," raising eyebrows about wealth gaps and inequality.
In an interview with Complex (@complex) posted on TikTok, host Speedy Morman asked Hart when he had last taken a commercial flight. The comedian took a long pause and even appeared to look off camera to members of his team for help.
@complex Kevin Hart and "commercial flight" don't belong in the same sentence 😂 #360WithSpeedy powered by @Google Pixel ♬ original sound - COMPLEX
"It's been a long time since I've been on a pedestrian plane," he said, guessing 14 or 15 years.
Celebrities are known to fly on private jets, an expensive perk in more ways than one. According to Business Insider, it costs more than $1 million a year to operate a jet (after the purchase price, which can run into the multimillions), with hangar rentals, staff payments, maintenance, and more.
A celebrity can also charter a private plane without owning one, which comes with its own costs, such as membership fees. Chartering also comes with a bonus: Privately owned jets (including Taylor Swift's) can be tracked by the public, while chartered jets' passenger manifests remain private.
Private jets are notorious contributors to air pollution, raising the question of accountability from celebs jetting across the globe. According to the International Council on Clean Transportation, private jets produced 19.5 million tonnes of pollution in 2023, a 25% increase from the previous decade — and more than that of all flights, including commercial ones, that left London's Heathrow Airport that year.
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Overall, only 1.8% of the carbon pollution from aviation comes from private jets, while the industry as a whole is responsible for about 4% of pollution, according to a 2024 study cited by PBS. But as its lead author Stefan Gossling noted, "The damage is done by those with a lot of money, and the cost is borne by those with very little money."
Commenters weren't pleased with Hart's casual dismissal of commercial flying.
"I guess we're peasants," one person quipped.
Another added, "That's so much pollution."
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"People in commercial planes made you," someone else observed.
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