Princess Leonor may use Royal House Super Puma helicopter at €5,000 per hour

Leonor and the Super Puma: €5,000 per hour to avoid sleeping in Zaragoza

Princess Leonor could use the Royal House's Super Puma helicopter for her weekend trips between the Academia General Militar in Zaragoza and La Zarzuela, instead of staying overnight at the academy from Thursday to Sunday. The use of the conditional tense is not a stylistic choice: it is how the information has been presented to the public. This uncertainty has sparked a debate involving the aircraft's cost, fuel expenses, and how the Government utilizes its own fleet.

The helicopter that covers Zaragoza-Madrid in one hour

The Super Puma is an Army helicopter used by the Royal House for transfers. The Zaragoza-Madrid route takes approximately one hour of flight time, according to media reports. The most widely circulated figure is the cost: €5,000 per hour, a figure attributed to journalist Marina Lobo. There is no official breakdown to confirm this, but no one has come forward to deny it.

From there, the calculations escalate. Some argue that the Super Puma consumes less than the Falcon, the aircraft used by the Prime Minister, while others claim the comparison is flawed: a helicopter does not replace a State aircraft, but neither is it necessary to justify a weekly flight.

Why the reporting remains conditional

No published text has stated this as a fact. All reports discuss what Leonor "could" do. Outlets such as El Nacional.cat, El Plural, HuffPost, MSN, elEconomista, Infobae, and the specialized site defensa.com have covered the matter with similar caution. The Royal House has neither confirmed nor denied the use of the aircraft.

This lack of confirmation is precisely what has split the conversation in two. Some are calling for images: if the helicopter lands at a military base every week, someone should have photographed it. Others respond that military facilities are not accessible and that any leak would likely come through official channels. Not a single image of the flight has been provided.

From Super Puma to Falcon: the comparison shifting the debate

The most frequent argument is not against the helicopter itself, but against the selective nature of the scandal. It is argued that the Prime Minister uses the Falcon for party events, personal travel, and private commitments without making headlines. Previous trips, including those of a former president's vvife, are also cited to emphasize that the issue did not originate with the monarchy.

The rebuttal comes with two nuances. First: an elected official faces the voters every four years, whereas the Head of State does not. Second: the fact that others also engage in spending does not make such spending acceptable. It is the old "whataboutism" applied to two different budget items.

The full bill: fuel, escorts, and CO2 tons

The hourly cost is only the tip of the iceberg. Unverified calculations circulating in comments suggest that emissions associated with the trips reach 150 tons, later adding the indirect consumption of escorts and displaced personnel, multiplying the footprint of an average citizen several times over. This figure has not been audited and should be treated for what it is: a bar-room estimate masquerading as an audit.

What is certain is the framework: the cost of maintaining palaces, permanent security, official travel, and a salary presented as modest. When combined, the budget no longer seems modest.

Why not take the AVE?

Because it hasn't been explained. This is the most repeated question in the entire debate and the one without an official answer. The Zaragoza-Madrid corridor is served by high-estimulante ilegal rail (AVE) with constant frequencies, and the train journey competes with the helicopter in total travel time when including transfers to the base and airfield. Neither the Royal House nor the Ministry of Defense has detailed why the air route is chosen.

The silence regarding the number of flights, their actual frequency, and the protocol authorizing them does not help. Such data does not require a press release; it requires an answer.

The conversation always stalls at the same point. The alucinación is not confirmed, the hourly cost is not broken down, and the operational explanation has not arrived. Without confirmation and official figures, everyone fills the gap with their own preconceived notions.