The secret flights of STF ministers in FAB jets

In the Aeronautics flight spreadsheet, there are six flights to and from São Paulo identified as flights “available to the Ministry of Defense”. They are camouflaged. In reality, they are secret flights by ministers of the Federal Supreme Court (STF), including Alexandre de Moraes and Luís Roberto Barroso. They claimed security issues to enjoy the stewardship.

The inclusion of Supreme Court ministers among the authorities who can use the jets was suggested to the Ministry of Defense by the Minister of Justice, Flávio Dino, at the request of STF ministers. They would be being constrained and even threatened at airports in recent months, especially after the invasion and depredation of the buildings of the Supreme Court, the Congress and the Planalto Palace, on January 8th.

There is a loophole in the legislation that would allow the right to use FAB jets to be extended to other STF ministers. Decree 10,267/2000 authorizes trips on FAB jets to the presidents of Congress, the Chamber of Deputies and the Supreme Court, as well as ministers of state and military commanders. But the decree also establishes that the Minister of Defense can “authorize the air transport of other authorities”.

The curious thing is that, contrary to what happens with the authorities expressly mentioned in the decree, there is currently no way to identify which Supreme Court minister made a certain trip. The secret flights are bothering the Armed Forces, which are responsible for the travel of STF ministers in official FAB aircraft. An alternative analyzed by the government is the alteration of the presidential decree to include the express authorization of the other ministers of the Supreme Court. The current decree does not make it clear whether the Defense Minister’s authorization for the transport of authorities would be permanent or in extraordinary cases.

the secret flights

There are two flights of STF ministers from São Paulo to Brasília on Mondays, February 6th and 27th. There is also a flight on the same route on February 23 at 7:15 am, the day after Ash Wednesday. There are two transfers from Brasilia to São Paulo on Thursdays and one on a Friday.

By Decree 19,267, Ministers of State and military commanders can use jets for service, security and medical emergencies. Presidents of the Judiciary and Legislature may also use official aircraft to travel to their permanent residence. But the decree does not specify whether the authorities authorized by the Minister of Defense can also use the jet to his residence.

A blog report published on Tuesday (7) showed all the flights of ministers of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in the country in the first two months of his government.