French Presidential Falcon 7X returns from Beaujolais to Paris amid climate scrutiny

Emmanuel Macron / French Presidential Flight's Dassault Falcon 7X (F-RAFA) was tracked departing Belleville Villié Morgon Airfield (LFHW) in the heart of the Beaujolais wine country on September 7, 2026, touching down at Paris-Orly (LFPO) 35 minutes later after a swift, high-altitude cruise. The aircraft, one of two Falcon 7X jets operated by the ETEC squadron from Le Bourget, made the 300-kilometer journey at a peak altitude of 34,000 feet and a ground speed approaching 500 knots — a routine repositioning for a fleet that logged 32 flights in the 30 days prior, per Flotte Presidentielle tracking data.

If aboard, Emmanuel Macron / French Presidential Flight would have returned to the capital the same week that his administration faces renewed criticism over the environmental cost of short private jet hops. A July 2026 LinkedIn post from Celebplanes noted that a similar 93-mile Falcon 7X flight from Avallon to Paris-Orly burned roughly 78 gallons of Jet-A — “more carbon than the average American emits in a full year.” The Beaujolais-to-Paris leg, while slightly longer, fits the same pattern of brief domestic movements that have drawn fire from climate advocates, especially given Macron’s public emphasis on sustainability at international forums.

The Beaujolais region is currently in the midst of the grape harvest, an event Macron has visited in past years to promote French viticulture. Local press reported that the president was expected to tour a vineyard in the Morgon appellation on September 6, though no official schedule was confirmed. The flight on the 7th would align with a return to Paris ahead of a scheduled cabinet meeting on September 8, where energy policy and France’s 2030 emissions targets are on the agenda, according to government briefings.