Cost and class of flight from 2018/19 to 2021/22

Freedom of information request reference no: 01.FOI.22.025112

I note you seek access to the following information:

**New request**
Can you please provide the narrowed response information outlined in your reply? This is in regard to Finance, Travel Services, and Timeframe.

Finance - Annual total cost for the code “Air Travel”, by Business Group/OCU/Month of Spend, for the time period specified?

Travel Services - Flights booked, the fare(s) paid, the amount of flights taken and the class of ticket (eg economy, premium economy, business, first) for the time period specified?

Timeframe - Financial years 2018-19, 2019-20, 2020-21 and 2021-22

**Previous request**
I am writing to obtain information about flights the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) has paid for in the four financial years from 2018-19 to 2021-22.

Please include the following information for each of 2018-19, 2019-20, 2020-21 and 2021-22:

• The fare(s) paid
• The amount of flights taken
• The class of ticket (eg economy, premium economy, business, first)

Please include flights that have been paid for directly as well as any flights staff or others have been reimbursed for.

You have previously responded to a similar FOI request in 2018 (Reference No: 2018020000340) and I would appreciate the new information to be provided in the same tabular format.

Decision

I have today decided to disclose the located information to you in full.

Please find below information pursuant to your request above.

Please note: This is an amended MPS response. Our previous response was forwarded to you on the 4 July 2022.

I have today decided to disclose the located information to you in full.

Please see below information pursuant to your **New request** request above.

Can you please provide the narrowed response information outlined in your reply? This is in regard to Finance, Travel Services, and timeframe - Financial years 2018-19, 2019-20, 2020-21 and 2021-22:

Q1 - Finance - Annual total cost for the code “Air Travel”, by Business Group/OCU/Month of Spend, for the time period specified?

(Please see Excel Spreadsheet – Air Travel Actuals by Month of Spend)
Q2 - Travel Services - Flights booked, the fare(s) paid, the amount of flights taken and the class of ticket (eg economy, premium economy, business, first) for the time period specified?

The MPS expect MPS personnel to travel by the most economical means possible that is compatible with the requirements of the deployment. MPS Travel Services book the cheapest available travel at the time of booking.

All international flights are authorised by NPCC officers and UK flights by OCU Commanders. Business Class travel can be authorised by NPCC officers for flights in excess of 6 hours.

The majority of officers flying First/Business Class are protection officers who are accompanying their principal.

The figures in the table are for MPS officers/staff, NPCC, and non-MPS Counter Terrorism officers/staff. Around 85-88% of the cost is for externally funded policing.

In the above, the phrase ‘NPCC’ refers to senior Met officers and not the NPCC as an organisation

FY 2018-2022
Period	Booked Flights	Flight Total Cost	(£m)
1 April 2018 – 31 Mar 2019	5717	First Class	£0.167
		Business Class	£1.960
		Economy Class	£1.181
		Premium Economy	£1.312
		Total	£4.620
1 April 2019 – 31 Mar 2020	4984	First Class	£0.149
		Business Class	£1.439
		Economy Class	£0.260
		Premium Economy	£1.113
		Total	£2.961
1 April 2020 – 31 March 2021	639	Business Class	£0.139
		Economy Class	£0.012
		Premium Economy	£0.124
		Total	£0.275
1 April 2021 – 31 March 2022	2811	Business Class	£0.740
		Economy Class	£0.426
		Premium Economy	£0.089
		Total	£1.255

 

FY 2018-2022
Period	Booked Flights	Class	Number of flights
1 April 2018 – 31 Mar 2019	5717	First Class	42
		Business Class	629
		Economy Class	3987
		Premium Economy	1059
1 April 2019 – 31 Mar 2020	4984	First Class	35
		Business Class	455
		Economy Class	3200
		Premium Economy	1294
1 April 2020 – 31 March 2021	639	Business Class	11
		Economy Class	603
		Premium Economy	25
1 April 2021 – 31 March 2022	2811	Business Class	975
		Economy Class	1740
		Premium Economy	96