The royal family’s use of helicopters has been making headlines after a report pulled back the curtain on the vehicles’ mileage.
The Telegraph reported on Sunday, January 4, that the two new AgustaWestland AW139 helicopters the royal family is leasing have traveled a total of 58,000 miles — which equates to more than two circumnavigations of the globe.
The outlet also reported that the AgustaWestland AW139 helicopters used by senior members of the royal family logged 420 hours of flying time between February 25, 2025, and the end of November 2025.
The Telegraph reported that Princess Anne and Prince William used the aircraft the most. While citing flight data, the outlet reported that Princess Anne’s Gatcombe Park home was “the most frequently visited destination with 68 stops.”
Why King Charles Has ‘Concerns’ About Prince William’s Use of Royal Helicopter
Prince William, for his part, stopped 47 times in Windsor and five times at Forest Lodge — the home where he and wife Princess Kate Middleton moved into with their three children in October 2025.
Kate, meanwhile, used a helicopter for solo engagements. She and William also traveled in the chopper together for joint duties in 2025.
A spokesperson for Buckingham Palace went on to allege that helicopters allow for the royals to travel to remote destinations and complete multiple duties in one day.
“Helicopters are a key component of the royal travel plan due to their unique capability to access remote regions of the U.K., which are not otherwise readily served by other modes of transport,” the spokesperson said. “They also allow members of the Royal family to undertake multiple engagements in a given day.”
Royal Fears About Prince William’s Helicopter Use Are Connected to Harry
The conversation surrounding the use of helicopters within the royal family has been widely reported through the years. Royal biographer Robert Jobson claimed in his 2024 book, Catherine, the Princess of Wales, that Charles raised concerns with William “piloting his helicopter to fly his entire family around.” He also claimed that Charles’ request for William to “curb his helicopter use” came after the monarch’s cancer diagnosis in 2024.
Jobson also alleged that the family’s issues with William flying stemmed from the late Queen Elizabeth.
“William had previously upset the late Queen Elizabeth when he defied her by piloting his entire family the 115 miles from Kensington Palace to Anmer Hall in Norfolk,” Jobson wrote, adding that her fear came from a 1967 crash that killed her flight captain. “[Elizabeth] later cautioned William, particularly about flying with his heir Prince George, telling her grandson that he should always be aware of the line of succession.”
The book claimed that the queen thought it was “an unnecessary risk,” and she initially “privately voiced her concern.”
In an exclusive interview with Us in 2024, Jobson shared that William is “defying” both Charles and Elizabeth’s concerns.
“You cannot fly with all your family,” Jobson said at the time. “And he did. He defied her. And then the king has said exactly the same.”
