Linken-Chef Jan van Aken has sharply criticized Volkswagen’s private jet fleet, linking its operations to the company’s financial crisis, potential job cuts affecting some 50,000 employees by 2030, and the burden of rising fuel prices on ordinary citizens. He argues that while hard-working individuals fear for their jobs and struggle with fuel costs, VW executives continue to utilize six private jets for global travel. This stark contrast highlights a perceived disconnect between the company’s financial struggles and the privileged travel habits of its leadership. Van Aken’s condemnation reflects a broader public sentiment against corporate extravagance during times of economic hardship.
An investigation initiated by the Left Party, in collaboration with the non-profit OpenSky, scrutinized the flight activities of Volkswagen’s subsidiary, Volkswagen AirService GmbH. The findings for 2025 revealed that the six jets conducted 1,450 flights, covering an astonishing distance of approximately 1.01 million kilometers and emitting 5,848 tons of CO₂. Beyond legitimate business trips to VW facilities in locations like Germany, Poland, or Mexico, the data allegedly uncovered numerous short trips to popular holiday destinations. The timing of several flights, particularly during July and August 2025, to places such as Nizza, Ibiza, Barcelona, Paris, Pisa, and Malaga, strongly suggested non-business related travel.
A Volkswagen spokesperson, responding to inquiries, conceded that the nature and destinations of some flights, particularly those identified as potential leisure trips, led to the conclusion that they were “not or overwhelmingly not on behalf of Volkswagen AG.” However, the company declined to provide further details on the proportion of business versus charter flights or their cost carriers, citing “competitive reasons.” Van Aken further underscored the environmental impact, noting that the CO₂ emissions from these flights alone could have transported approximately 46,000 people from Hanover to Mallorca for their summer holidays, emphasizing the scale of the private jet usage.
Van Aken also criticized the lack of tax contributions, claiming that if private jet kerosene were taxed like petrol, the state would have gained an additional €1.5 million in tax revenue from VW’s jets in 2025 alone. However, the article clarifies that no commercial airline in Germany, including major carriers, currently pays an energy or kerosene tax; instead, an air transport tax is levied on passengers. Volkswagen AirService GmbH leverages a legal loophole: by registering as a commercial provider of passenger aircraft, capable of external charter flights (even for holidays), it is exempt from the energy tax on kerosene, similar to larger airlines. If it operated solely for internal company business (Werksverkehr), it would be liable for kerosene tax. This “trick” has previously drawn criticism from outlets like the Süddeutsche Zeitung and NDR.
