Romanian President Klaus Iohannis was asked on Tuesday why he traveled to South Korea in a luxury jet, while the economy is struggling and ministers flew on a commercial plane.
„I don’t know how you define a luxury plane. I came with a small aircraft,” Iohannis replied.
The head of state also mentioned that he traveled on an external mission, as many others have been, "in the interest and for Romania."
"First of all, Romania's economy is not struggling, but continues to grow, and I don't think we can make a connection between the two. Yes, I came on an external mission, as many others have been, in the interest and for Romania," the president stated.
The specialized aviation news site Boarding Pass announced that the private Gulfstream G550 aircraft operated by Global Jet Luxembourg is the same one President Iohannis used for official trips in the United Arab Emirates (March 2023) and during the "African tour" in Kenya, Tanzania, Cape Verde, and Senegal (November 2023).
The aircraft is very spacious, equipped with a shower cabin and seats and sofas that can be transformed into beds.
Last year, Iohannis spent over 8 million euros on 34 foreign trips, to countries such as Japan, the United Arab Emirates, Chile, Brazil, Argentina, and African states, according to the Presidential Administration, which did not break down the costs for each flight.
