Pedro Sánchez's 582 Falcon flights: legitimate use or abuse of public funds?
Pedro Sánchez has flown 582 times on the Falcon in five years, far surpassing Rajoy. Is this appropriate use or an abuse of the public purse?
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Pedro Sánchez's Falcon: 582 flights and a use that divides opinion
Pedro Sánchez has made 582 flights on the Falcon in five years (up to early 2025), covering more than 808,000 kilometres. Mariano Rajoy, during his seven years in office, used the presidential plane between 198 and 260 times. The comparison is inevitable, but the debate goes beyond the numbers: is the prime minister's use of the Falcon appropriate?
The flight record and the comparison with Rajoy
According to data from El Mundo, Sánchez broke all records for Falcon use as early as 2019. While Rajoy mainly used it for official events, Sánchez has used it for his party's rallies, music festivals and weekend trips. The official justification is efficiency and security, but critics point to an abuse of public funds. An analysis of government sources indicates that trips to the Dominican Republic were four, not 39, although the PP (Spain's conservative People's Party) claims that many flights have no declared passengers and are shielded by state secrets.
Partisan or institutional use?
Opinions are sharply divided. On one side are those who argue that the Falcon should only be used for state functions and that trips to rallies or festivals are an unjustifiable expense. On the other are those who defend that the role of prime minister requires maximum security and that trips to political events are also part of the job. The controversy is heightened by the opacity surrounding some flights: the destination is known, but not the passengers or the purpose, which fuels suspicions of private or unofficial travel.
Catering and on-board luxuries
The Falcon catering scandal, awarded to a luxury Austrian supplier that works for the Champions League and F1, has added fuel to the fire. For many, it is a gesture that symbolises the prime minister's disconnection from the country's economic reality. Rajoy, by contrast, was known for his frugality, with anecdotes about ham and whiskey, though he never reached today's level of ostentation.
The debate over the Falcon is, in reality, a reflection of political polarisation. While some see an unnecessary expense and an abuse of power, others consider it a legitimate tool for the prime minister. What is clear is that, with 582 flights, Pedro Sánchez has turned the Falcon into yet another symbol of his time in office.
Related discussions in the forum
Pedro Sánchez has made 582 flights on the Falcon in five years (up to early 2025), covering more than 808,000 kilometres. Mariano Rajoy, during his seven years in office, used the presidential plane between 198 and 260 times. The comparison is inevitable, but the debate goes beyond the numbers: is the prime minister's use of the Falcon appropriate?
The flight record and the comparison with Rajoy
According to data from El Mundo, Sánchez broke all records for Falcon use as early as 2019. While Rajoy mainly used it for official events, Sánchez has used it for his party's rallies, music festivals and weekend trips. The official justification is efficiency and security, but critics point to an abuse of public funds. An analysis of government sources indicates that trips to the Dominican Republic were four, not 39, although the PP (Spain's conservative People's Party) claims that many flights have no declared passengers and are shielded by state secrets.
Partisan or institutional use?
Opinions are sharply divided. On one side are those who argue that the Falcon should only be used for state functions and that trips to rallies or festivals are an unjustifiable expense. On the other are those who defend that the role of prime minister requires maximum security and that trips to political events are also part of the job. The controversy is heightened by the opacity surrounding some flights: the destination is known, but not the passengers or the purpose, which fuels suspicions of private or unofficial travel.
Catering and on-board luxuries
The Falcon catering scandal, awarded to a luxury Austrian supplier that works for the Champions League and F1, has added fuel to the fire. For many, it is a gesture that symbolises the prime minister's disconnection from the country's economic reality. Rajoy, by contrast, was known for his frugality, with anecdotes about ham and whiskey, though he never reached today's level of ostentation.
The debate over the Falcon is, in reality, a reflection of political polarisation. While some see an unnecessary expense and an abuse of power, others consider it a legitimate tool for the prime minister. What is clear is that, with 582 flights, Pedro Sánchez has turned the Falcon into yet another symbol of his time in office.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (49 replies).
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