University bosses spent £150,000 on flights – union

By Gbam Godwin On Sep 20, 2025

University bosses spent £150,000 on flights – union.

A union has slammed Coventry University administrators for spending thousands of pounds on first-class flights as employees are laid off.

According to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request, the University and College Union (UCU) reported that senior officials spent approximately £150,000 on flights between January and November 2024.

However, Coventry University Group (CUG) stated that less than £30,000 of the estimated expenditure was “solely paid for by the group” because a “significant amount” was supported through grants and contracts with international partners.

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A spokeswoman stated that they had expanded the number of students studying abroad and needed to establish contacts in other countries.

The group had said in December 2023 that it needed to save about £100 million over a two-year period.

According to a Freedom of Information request obtained by the BBC, vice-chancellor Prof John Latham CBE spent £7,870 on one business class ticket with Emirates, with other staff members, including deputy vice-chancellor Prof Richard Wells, flying in first or business class for over £4,000.

The exterior of a red brick Coventry University building. There is a sign on a column on the left of the building that reads "Coventry University" and advertising posters are hanging down on two columns to the right. The sky is blue in the background. — A Coventry UCU spokesperson said they wanted to see “responsible leadership” from the university

CUG stated that it has a “clear strategy” for generating development and profits by providing education in worldwide markets, having campuses or hubs in Egypt, Singapore, Kazakhstan, China, and India.

“When travel is required to support strategic growth, all individuals must adhere to the group’s travel policy, which has clear rules on appropriate class of travel,” according to it.

According to a spokeswoman, the group aims to have 50,000 students studying at its sites around the world and plans to open more abroad campuses in the coming year.

“None of this happens remotely, we need to develop relationships and this means flying to countries where we do business, or hope to do business, that generates a surplus to support our communities in the UK as well as protecting jobs,” said the pair.

‘One rule for them’

Lara Chaplin of Coventry UCU stated that the university was “millions and millions of pounds in deficit” and that everyone was working together to decrease the deficit, but that the senior leadership team was “making widespread redundancies”.

She claimed that employees were sacked and rehired on “substantially worse” terms and conditions, including a reduction in yearly leave. “Our student numbers are taking a hit, we’re sort of spiralling down the league tables,” she went on.

Ms Chaplin also expressed her desire to see “responsible leadership” from the university. She told BBC CWR that while she appreciated the group’s desire to promote the university’s image, she questioned why leaders couldn’t fly economy instead.

“It’s one rule for them and then another for the rest of the university workers,” she told me. “If we are in it together, then we should be in it together.”