Buckingham Palace has defended the Royal Family’s travel plans after a new report revealed that members of the monarchy flew the equivalent of twice around the world in helicopters during a nine-month period.
The Royal Family's pair of new AgustaWestland AW139 helicopters has covered an extraordinary 58,000 miles since entering service earlier in 2025, a distance equivalent to two complete circumnavigations of the globe.
Flight records reveal the aircraft accumulated 420 hours in the air between February 25 and the end of November, with at least one helicopter taking to the skies on 142 of the 279 days during that period.
The leased aircraft replaced two Sikorsky helicopters that had been in operation for 15 years. The Royal household announced in June 2024 its commitment to maximising their use.
Buckingham Palace has defended the Royal Family’s travel plans after a new report revealed that members of the monarchy flew the equivalent of twice around the world in helicopters during a nine-month period.
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Between them, the helicopters completed approximately 340 separate trips over the nine-month period, with journeys that included stops exceeding one hour counted individually.
A spokesperson for Buckingham Palace said: "Helicopters are a key component of the royal travel plan due to their unique capability to access remote regions of the UK, which are not otherwise readily served by other modes of transport.
"They also allow members of the Royal family to undertake multiple engagements in a given day."
The Princess Royal emerged as the most frequent user of the new fleet, with flight data showing 68 stops at her Gatcombe Park residence in Gloucestershire, reflecting her consistently high number of public engagements throughout the year.
The Princess Royal emerged as the most frequent user of the new fleet, with flight data showing 68 stops at her Gatcombe Park residence in Gloucestershire, reflecting her consistently high number of public engagements throughout the year.
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The Prince of Wales has also made extensive use of the helicopters, with 47 recorded stops at Windsor and an additional five at Forest Lodge, the family home he relocated to in October.
Flight records indicate the prince used the aircraft for numerous monthly engagements, travelling to a referee training course in Walsall, a women's rugby fixture in Exeter, and visits to the England women's football squad at their Staffordshire training facility.
He also flew to Sheffield for Homewards work and Norwich for Earthshot-related duties.
On November 25, a single helicopter journey covered nearly 500 miles, departing RAF Odiham for Forest Lodge before transporting the Prince to Wales, then Hawarden Airport, Llandudno South, and returning via Forest Lodge to base.
Flight records reveal the aircraft accumulated 420 hours in the air between February 25 and the end of November, with at least one helicopter taking to the skies on 142 of the 279 days during that period.
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The Princess of Wales's visit to a wellbeing garden at Colchester Hospital on July 2 required seven separate helicopter movements totalling 390 miles, including stops at Windsor, Merville Barracks, and the couple's Norfolk residence at Anmer Hall.
The Prince and Princess of Wales jointly used helicopter transport for several engagements, including a Six Nations match at Cardiff's Principality Stadium and meeting bereaved families in Southport following the 2024 knife attack.
However, the prince also regularly travels by public train, having taken rail journeys to Birmingham for a paramedic conference and to Liverpool, where he was photographed conversing with first-class passengers.
The new helicopters operate using the maximum industry standard of 50 per cent Sustainable Aviation Fuel, a key factor in the decision to acquire them as part of efforts to reduce dependence on costlier fixed-wing aircraft.
The Sovereign Grant, an annual payment supporting official royal duties that is linked to Crown Estate profits, covers all royal travel costs.
This funding increased substantially to £132.1 million for 2025-26, up from £86.3 million the previous year.
The most recent Sovereign Grant report, published in June, recorded 141 helicopter journeys costing £475,290, with only four trips exceeding the £17,000 threshold for individual disclosure.
A royal aide defended the extensive helicopter use, stating: "If you're going to make an investment of that magnitude, then you need to sweat the asset."
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