Warwick and Coventry Vice-Chancellors costly flight expenditure revealed

Vice Chancellors and Deputy Vice-Chancellors of both Warwick and Coventry Universities spent a total of £371,737 on flight expenses from September 2013 to September 2016, as revealed by a Freedom of Information (FOI) request from The Telegraph.

Within three years the Vice-Chancellors spent the high amount with flights listed as first or business class. Trips to city locations such as Hong Kong, Sydney, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York and Rio De Janeiro were included.

Warwick’s previous Vice-Chancellor, Nigel Thrift, faced scrutiny for his £349,000 pay per annum and current vice chancellor Stuart Croft on a reported £280,000 annual pay. In contrast, Coventry university’s vice chancellor John Latham is said to receive £303,000 annually.

The FOI request revealed that Nigel Thrift had taken £100,471 worth of flights during a three-year period, with Stuart Croft only spending £37,228 during the same amount of time. In stark contrast, Coventry University’s Vice Chancellor reportedly claimed just £3,912 between September 2013 and 2016. John Latham was, however, appointed as Coventry’s vice chancellor in March 2014.

Coventry University used technical FOI exemptions as to not disclose who had taken flights and to which precise destinations. Unnamed Coventry University Deputy Vice-Chancellors claimed £230,124 over the same three-year period which is grossly higher than all three Vice-Chancellors’ amounts disclosed.

Nigel Thrift’s most expensive travel was a £7,441 business class trip to Melbourne in November 2015, which is the most expensive trip by a Warwick university member of staff. His cheapest trip was just £77.61 via business class to Budapest in December 2015.

Whereas Coventry university’s most expensive trip cost £5,457 business class which was made by a Deputy Vice-Chancellor to Africa in April 2016. Their cheapest trip cost only £44 via business class to Asia, however, the University would not disclose precise locations but only continents.

Coventry University’s response said: “We have withheld names of the staff under section 40 of the Freedom of Information Act which is an absolute exemption.”

A Warwick University response said: “Please note that due to the nature of travel undertaken and that work is required to be undertaken while travelling, the University permits business class travel for these members of staff.”