'Ghost Flights' Take Off!

People generate one of their biggest emissions of 'greenhouse gases', by flying. 'Ghost flights' have worried environmentalists. A 'ghost flight' is defined as one with between zero and fewer than 10% of the aircraft's passenger capacity. A 'ghost flight' generates emissions without much transport of passengers (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/mar/31/ghost-flights-from-uk-running-at-500-a-month-data-reveals). Freedom of information requests directed to UK airports, found a total of almost 15,000 'ghost flights' between March 2020 and September 2021. These were International flights from UK airports rather than arrivals. The highest numbers of 'ghost flights' came from Heathrow (London); Aberdeen, Manchester, Stansted and Norwich. The phenomenon is not, however, limited to the UK, as the German airline Lufthansa, also reported 18,000 'ghost flights'. The use of 'ghost flights' had been blamed on a requirement of airlines to maintain 80% of their flights, in order not to lose their airport landing slots. The requirement was, however, abolished in the pandemic. It was only reintroduced at 50% in October 2021. These changes appear, however, to have had little impact on the monthly numbers of 'ghost flights'. Perhaps, the airlines fly 'ghost flights' for 'the hell of it' or appearances sake?