Lula’s ministers use more FAB jets and favor electoral strongholds

The more ministers, the more expenses. President Lula’s ministers spent 90% more than Bolsonaro’s on flights across the country in FAB jets. There were 260 flight hours in January and February – almost four laps around the Earth. At least 22 trips were to their electoral strongholds, on weekends, without complying with an official agenda. Another 21 also went to their home states, but with an official agenda. In the Bolsonaro government, there were 137 hours of ministerial flights across the country in the first two months.

The Minister of Finance, Fernando Haddad, made nine round trip flights to São Paulo, five of them on weekends without following an official schedule. On a trip to São Paulo, in the early evening of a Friday (6/1), his agenda was “internal dispatches” at the Treasury office in São Paulo, in a meeting with his chief of staff, Laio Moraes. On that occasion, the minister “visited the office for the first time,” the ministry said.

The Minister of Justice, Flávio Dino, made six flights to or from São Luís, four of them without a schedule. The Minister of Labor, Luiz Marinho, made seven return flights to São Paulo. He usually travels to São Paulo on Friday and returns on Monday, always on the official jet.

But there was extra spending in the Bolsonaro government – ​​the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ernesto Araújo, flew another 70 hours on international trips in the first two months of the government. He has been to Lima (Peru), Ottawa (Canada), Warsaw (Poland), Valencia (Spain) and Cúcuta (Colombia). Lula’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mauro Vieira, made only one trip to Argentina, with a 3.5-hour flight.

Travel to electoral strongholds and air “Uber”

The Minister of Health, Nísia Andrade, made ten flights in FAB aircraft in two months. Seven of them went to or from Rio de Janeiro. She took part in events to encourage immunization through the vaccine, in actions related to women’s, children’s and adolescents’ health and in a meeting about federal hospitals in Rio de Janeiro. The other states are awaiting similar treatment.

The Minister of Mines and Energy, former deputy Alexandre Silveira (PSD-MG), made 10 trips in official planes, five of them to Belo Horizonte, one without an official agenda. He was also in Rio and Fortaleza. The Minister of Tourism, licensed deputy Daniela Carneiro (União-RJ), made 11 trips in jets, four of them round trip to Rio de Janeiro, with an official agenda. He was also in three other cities.

The chief minister of the General Secretariat of the Presidency, Márcio Macêdo, licensed deputy (PT-SE), traveled little, but made an unusual trip at the beginning of the year. He took a ride to Salvador on the official jet used by the Minister of Culture, Margareth Menezes, on Friday, January 6th. From there, he headed for Aracaju, where he has a fixed residence, as the only passenger on the official jet – almost an “Uber” by air. In the capital of Sergipe, he had a meeting with Mayor Edvaldo Nogueira, president of the National Front of Mayors, to “prepare the agenda for a future dispatch” between the mayor and President Lula. On Sunday, Macedo flew to Maceió, again on a solo flight, where he caught a ride on the jet of the mayor, Arthur Lira.

Ministers justify spending

The Ministry of Finance stated to the blog that Minister Haddad returned to Brasília on January 9th on the FAB flight “due to the terrorist acts that took place in Brasília on January 8th”. The ministry added that the trips made by Minister Haddad “followed the rules established by Law No. 8,112 (Article 58) and Decree No. 10,267”.

Minister Flávio Dino stated that the trip to and from São Luís in January was for security reasons, “in the face of constant and recent anti-democratic attacks, including against Mr. Minister”. The decree authorizes the trip by justifying the need for security.

The blog asked all the ministers mentioned in the article if they can go home by jet on weekends, without an official agenda, or if they use the official aircraft for security reasons. Most did not respond.

Under current legislation, ministers of state can use FAB jets on duty, for safety reasons and in cases of medical emergencies. Decree 10,267, signed by then-President Jair Bolsonaro in January 2020, maintained the ban on ministers flying home on weekends, but left loopholes that allow these trips for security reasons.