KELOLAND News is reporting state airplane use has remained largely unchanged since Gov. Larry Rhoden took office, with fewer out-of-state trips than his predecessor, according to an analysis of flight records.
Rhoden, who was sworn in Jan. 27, 2025, after former Gov. Kristi Noem joined the Trump administration, is seeking election to a full term. Records show 94 trips on the state’s King Air 350 between February 2025 and March 2026, most of them within South Dakota as part of Rhoden’s “Open for Opportunity” tour. The governor was aboard 72 of those flights.
Only eight trips were out of state, sometimes without the governor on board. That is significantly fewer than Noem, who took 17 out-of-state flights in her first full year as governor in 2019.
Out-of-state travel included multiple trips to Washington, D.C., visits to Texas, New Mexico and Colorado for official meetings, and a January 2026 trip to Las Vegas. Records show more than 110 passengers overall, including state officials and, frequently, First Lady Sandy Rhoden.
State law limits use of government aircraft to state business, though the term is not specifically defined.
Comments