Defense Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky’s extensive use of military aircraft for foreign trips under scrutiny

Records released by a Hungarian news site reveal that Defense Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky used the army’s own aircraft for nearly every official trip abroad between 2022 and 2026, favoring the larger 140-seat Airbus A319 over smaller Dassault Falcon jets. Flights typically left from the Kecskemét base, stopped in Budapest to board the minister, and then returned to the base after landing in the capital. The majority of the expenses were tied to airport handling services, which were outsourced to HM EI Zrt. and its subcontractor Mate.aero Zrt., whose founder, Gábor Máté, was also the head of the military’s flight division during the tender process.

The Defense Ministry says it is auditing the contracts and will file a complaint if wrongdoing is found. Earlier reports also linked the minister to luxury hotel stays and high-priced clothing purchases, and a 12-billion-forint advisory contract signed under his tenure has already led to a criminal complaint by his successor, Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi.