European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen used private jets 16 times for her official trips in 2024.
According to the Commission, the full cost of these trips was covered by EU funds, as revealed in a response to MEP Martin Schirdewan, co-chair of The Left group in the European Parliament. Scrutiny of von der Leyen’s travel habits intensified in March 2023, after German newspapers Der Spiegel and Bild reported that she had taken 57 private jet flights over two years. The revelations drew sharp criticism, as von der Leyen is the public face of the European Green Deal.
The Commission insists that the chartered flights were used only when required for security reasons or due to tight schedules. “The President travels as much as possible using commercial airlines and public transport,” a Commission spokesperson said.
Data shared with the European Parliament shows that von der Leyen is typically accompanied by a group of between 3 and 39 people. One of the largest delegations travelled to Wrocław, Poland, with 40 people, costing around €2,981 per person, according to her personal disclosures.
The most expensive trip involved a charter flight costing €14,110 per person. The journey included an official stop in Paris before continuing to the G7 Summit and the Ukraine Peace Conference in Lucerne, Switzerland. It is not yet clear how many people were on board.
