Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao flew on taxpayer-funded government planes seven times this year, The Washington Post reported Thursday.

It appears the flights were taken when cheaper options wouldn't work, last-minute changes were made to Chao’s schedule or it was more time-efficient to do so.

As Transportation chief, Chao has access to a small fleet of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) jets that have served the travel needs of other Transportation secretaries and are regularly loaned out to other government agencies.

But the revelations come as the Trump administration faces heavy scrutiny for Cabinet members’ use of private planes.

ADVERTISEMENT

Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price Thomas (Tom) Edmunds PriceConspicuous by their absence from the Republican Convention Coronavirus Report: The Hill's Steve Clemons interviews Chris Christie Trump flails as audience dwindles and ratings plummet MORE resigned on Friday after Politico reported he spent more than $1 million of taxpayer money on military flights and private jets this year.

And a House GOP chairman is investigating Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke over his reported use of charter flights, including a $12,000 one from a dinner hosted by a former campaign donor.

A spokeswoman asked about Chao told the Post, “The secretary prefers to travel commercial and does so whenever possible,” including aboard 38 commercial flights this year. Chao “typically flies coach,” she added.

Chao, who is married to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellObama calls on Senate not to fill Ginsburg's vacancy until after election Planned Parenthood: 'The fate of our rights' depends on Ginsburg replacement Progressive group to spend M in ad campaign on Supreme Court vacancy MORE (R-Ky.), has flown on the FAA’s Gulfstream IV and two leased Cessnas seven times in the past eight months, according to the report. That includes day trips to cities about an hour’s flight from Washington, as well as longer trip to France and Italy, costing tens of thousands of dollars, the report added.

The Transportation Department said its ethics counsel conducted a cost analysis and approved all of Chao’s government flights.

A spokeswoman also pointed out that former Transportation secretaries regularly used government planes, including Anthony Foxx Anthony Renard FoxxBig Dem names show little interest in Senate Lyft sues New York over new driver minimum pay law Lyft confidentially files for IPO MORE, who flew on government jets 116 times from 2013 to 2017. And past Transportation secretaries have used government planes to fly to Europe over security concerns.

In one instance this June, Chao was planning to fly commercial to Detroit to attend an auto event. But days before, the White House scheduled an "infrastructure week" speech in Washington. Chao flew on an FAA Cessna business jet in order to make the events in both cities.

Chao also flew on a government plane, along with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin Steven Terner MnuchinLawmakers fear voter backlash over failure to reach COVID-19 relief deal United Airlines, unions call for six-month extension of government aid House Democrats plan to unveil bill next week to avert shutdown MORE, to attend an Aug. 15 press conference at Trump Tower with President Trump, to attend the Paris Air Show and deliver a speech at a conference on the Italian island of Sardinia, and to attend a ribbon-cutting event in South Bend, Ind.

“It was a more cost-effective and efficient way to get the secretary and her staff to South Bend and back to Washington in the time required,” a spokeswoman said.

The FAA keeps three planes stored at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. If another government agency wants to use one of the aircraft, the FAA charges $5,644 an hour for the Gulfstream and $4,922 an hour for the Cessnas. The FAA has a discounted internal flight-hour rate, the report noted.