Pfizer flies to Paris as European court ruling on vaccine texts looms

Pfizer flew from Trenton Mercer Airport to Paris–Le Bourget on May 16, 2026, a six-and-a-half-hour transatlantic hop aboard its Gulfstream G650ER, tail N6CP. The trip lands the company in Europe the same week the European Court of Justice upheld a transparency challenge over undisclosed text messages between Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during the frantic Covid-19 vaccine negotiations, as reported by RFI.

The ruling, which sided with The New York Times, found that the European Commission failed to provide plausible reasons for withholding the messages, calling its explanations insufficient. The court's decision reopens broader concerns about how the EU handled vaccine procurement with Pfizer, its main supplier, and obliges the Commission to reconsider the request. While it remains uncertain whether the messages still exist, the judgment is seen as a setback for von der Leyen and lends credence to criticism of her leadership style.

Pfizer's headquarters are in New York, but the company maintains a significant European presence, and CEO Albert Bourla has been a frequent visitor to Brussels and Paris during the vaccine rollout. This flight arrives as the company reaffirmed its 2026 guidance on strong first-quarter earnings, per a Business Wire release, and as it prepares to present oncology data at the ASCO meeting in Chicago later this month. The timing suggests the trip is likely tied to the legal and regulatory fallout from the ruling, rather than a routine business visit.