ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:

Commercial airlines have cut down on flights during the pandemic, but private jet flights have increased. This luxury for the nation’s wealthiest comes at the environmental expense of people living near airports. Caleigh Wells of member station KCRW reports.

(SOUNDBITE OF JET FLYING OVERHEAD)

CALEIGH WELLS, BYLINE: The wealth gap is especially visible here in Van Nuys, a dense, working-class neighborhood, home to one of the busiest general aviation airports in the country. Among those protesting the increased flights here is sociology professor Karen Morgaine.

KAREN MORGAINE: You have the 1% using this airport in a working-class neighborhood, disproportionately affecting the environment right now in this neighborhood, in addition to increasing the impact on the climate.

WELLS: Although it’s convenient for the wealthy, private jet travel is also one of the most carbon-intensive things a person can do, spewing about two metric tons of carbon every hour. The people living in Van Nuys are mostly renters, majority Latino, and households here typically make less than $60,000 per year. That’s roughly the cost of a round-trip private flight from LA to New York. Suzanne Gutierrez-Hedges lives nearby, and she’s worried about how those flights are affecting her kids’ health.

SUZANNE GUTIERREZ-HEDGES: Just this morning, as we were walking outside to take my kids to school and getting in the car, I was like, cover your nose. Run to…