Kash Patel's FBI jet lands in Alaska amid renewed scrutiny of personal travel

The FBI's Gulfstream G550, tail N708JH, was tracked departing Merlin Aerodrome in Virginia on July 7 and landing at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport just over six and a half hours later, according to public flight data. The aircraft, which the Department of Justice maintains for required-use travelers including the FBI Director, typically operates out of the Washington, D.C. area but has drawn persistent attention for destinations far from the capital.

Should Kash Patel have been aboard, the timing would place him in Alaska the same week that Senator Dick Durbin, the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, released whistleblower accounts alleging that the Director's personal flights delayed FBI responses to the killing of Charlie Kirk and the Brown University shooting. In a letter dated February 24, 2026, Durbin cited a whistleblower who claimed Patel's use of Bureau planes caused a pilot shortage that stalled the shooting reconstruction team's deployment to Utah by at least a day [bbc.com](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cpqwv03wz1yo). The FBI has denied the allegations, with spokesman Ben Williamson calling them "false" and "egregious" [npr.org](https://www.npr.org/2026/02/25/nx-s1-5726395/fbi-director-kash-patel-faces-scrutiny-over-travel-on-government-jet).

The Alaska trip does not correspond to any announced official FBI business in the state. Anchorage houses a major FBI field office and is a hub for federal law enforcement in the region, but the timing also coincides with peak summer tourism and sportfishing season—a pursuit the Director has reportedly mentioned as a personal interest. In a meeting with field offices last year, according to Durbin's letter, Patel said, "If you have golf, hockey, fishing, or hunting and beautiful sights, you’re going to see a lot of me" [judiciary.senate.gov](https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/2026-02-24%20Letter%20to%20GAO%20and%20DOJ%20IG%20on%20Kash%20Patel%20Olympic%20Travel.pdf).

The flight is the latest in a series of tracked movements that have fueled criticism from lawmakers and transparency advocates. Previous trips included a February 2026 flight to Milan for the Winter Olympics—where Patel was filmed celebrating in the U.S. hockey team's locker room—as well as visits to a Texas hunting resort, a golfing trip in Scotland, and a November flight to watch his girlfriend, country singer Alexis Wilkins, perform in Nashville. The FBI maintains that all such travel complies with federal rules and that Patel reimburses the government at commercial ticket rates for personal portions [cbc.ca](https://www.cbc.ca/lite/story/9.7103617). Still, the pattern of long-distance, amenity-rich destinations continues to invite questions about whether the Bureau's aircraft are being used as the Director's personal air force.