EU wants to spend 50% more on private jet travel despite climate pledges
February 20, 2026
The European Union has raised the spending ceiling for non-scheduled “air-taxi” services used by senior officials to €15.67 million over four years — around 46% higher than the previous contract ceiling of €10.71 million.
Last October, the European Commission (PMO), the European Parliament, the Council, and the European External Action Service (EEAS) published a tender for air charter services, which has now closed. The contract would provide business jet charters for officials when scheduled flights are not feasible due to timing, routing, or security factors.
Importantly, the tender’s listed value is a ceiling, and is not guaranteed spending. Actual annual charter costs for EU officials have historically varied widely.
Four private jet categories with strict fleet and pilot requirements
The contract requires a substantial operator with depth across multiple aircraft categories. The winning provider must directly operate (either own or dry-lease) three turbojet aircraft in each of four categories:
- Very Light Jet (VLJ) – minimum 2,000 km range
- Light Jet – minimum 3,000 km range
- Mid-size Jet – minimum 6,500 km range
- Super mid-size Jet – minimum 10,000 km range
Crew thresholds are also high:
- Captain: minimum 4,000 total flight hours
- Co-pilot: minimum 2,000 total flight hours
- Aircraft-type minimum experience also applies
Additionally, the operator must employ at least 40 staff, including flight crew, maintenance, and operational personnel, and hold a valid Air Operator Certificate (AOC). The tender was open to charter brokers as well as private jet services companies, so long as they met all the other criteria.
VIP in-flight service standards required by EU tender
Beyond aircraft and crew, the tender includes detailed expectations for onboard and ground service quality, to meet the needs of senior officials who would fly by private jet.
According to the specifications, the contractor must provide:
- VIP lounge access
- Business-class level ground handling
- Business-class standard catering
- High-level professional onboard reception
- Dedicated aircraft use (no commercial resale of unused space)
While the document does not mandate specific menus, the language makes clear that food and beverage provision must reflect executive-level service expectations.
The framework also allows for multi-destination itineraries and multi-day missions, requiring flexibility in provisioning and onboard arrangements.
EU private jet contract covers global diplomatic and conflict-zone destinations
The destination list spans a range of EU and non-EU airports and includes locations in politically sensitive or conflict-affected regions.
Within the EU, the tender specifications list dozens of airports, including:
- Brussels
- Luxembourg
- Strasbourg
- Stockholm
- Berlin
- Warsaw
- Valletta
- Zurich
Outside the EU, the list of destinations includes complex and conflict zones, including:
- Kabul
- Khartoum
- Juba
- Kinshasa
- Donetsk
- Tripoli
- Abuja
- Beijing
- Washington
- New York
The list of destinations reinforces the notion that this private jet services contract would support sensitive missions where commercial air services may not align with diplomatic schedules or security needs.
EU Private jet chater contract lacks explicit sustainability targets
The contract comes as the EU enforces some of the world’s most ambitious climate rules, including legally binding net-zero commitments and rising sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) mandates under ReFuelEU Aviation.
The air charter tender’s technical specifications, however, focus primarily on safety, operational capability, security compliance and service quality, rather than explicit sustainability performance criteria.
That could fuel some criticism from environmental groups, as private jet travel is widely viewed as carbon-intensive. There are already calls for more stringent enforcement of environmental targets for private jet use in Europe.
In a recent post, climate watchdog Carbon Market Watch noted:
“The EU Emissions Trading System was designed to ensure that polluters pay for some of the damage they cause. But when it comes to private jets, it falls short. Today, 67% of private jet emissions are not covered by the EU ETS.
“Many private jets fall below existing thresholds for aircraft weight, emissions, or flight numbers. On top of that, all flights to and from destinations outside the European Economic Area (EEA) are excluded altogether. The result is a system that protects the wealthiest and most polluting flyers while shifting the burden onto everyone else.”
However, per the tender, EU institutions would only use air taxi services when scheduled airline services cannot meet the diplomat’s operational or security requirements.
EU gets a higher ceiling for private jet spending, but may fly lower
Actual private jet use by EU officials may be lower than specified in the tender. Private jet spending has varied significantly in previous years.
An official European Parliament answer published last year reports the Commission’s actual annual spend on chartered “air taxi” services for official business was €785k (2020), €2.05m (2021), €1.79m (2022), and €1.30m (2023).
Whether the increased budget ceiling for private jet services translates into higher annual spending would depend on diplomatic requirements and geopolitical developments over the next four years.
Featured Image: Bombardier
