University of Kent’s boss blew £26,000 on air fares in a single year - the vast majority business and first class seats.

Vice-chancellor Prof Dame Julia Goodfellow’s expediture was more than three times the average spent by uni chiefs across the country, KentOnline can reveal.

Figures released to the KM Group show Prof Goodfellow also spent an average of £258 per night on hotels totalling £5,674 over 12 months.

The average vice-chancellor’s hotel bill for the year was £2,990.

Prof Goodfellow is also given university accommodation worth £1.15 million.

In 2014/15 she enjoyed a 3% pay rise - taking her salary to £272,000 per year.

In a statement responding to the release of the figures, the university defended Prof Goodfellow’s salary.

“The University of Kent is a top 20 UK university and the Vice-Chancellor’s salary reflects her positon as the leader of an ambitious multi-million pound, international organisation,” said the statement.

“It is in line with the sector average pay for vice-chancellors and is comparable to similarly-sized public and private sector organisations.”

Prof Goodfellow’s counterpart at Canterbury Christ Church University, Professor Rama Thirunamachandran, took a 10% pay cut to receive £241,000.

The average vice-chancellor’s pay in 2014/15 was £272,432.

The University and College Union (UCU), which released the figures, said it was time for “a frank and open discussion about pay and transparency in higher education”.

Regional official Michael Moran, said: “The huge disparities in the levels of pay and pay rises at the top expose the arbitrary nature of senior pay in our universities.

“While some continue to enjoy inflation-busting pay hikes and all the trimmings of first class flights, staff pay continues to be held down.

“It is deeply worrying that ministers are considering relaxing the one measure we have to hold universities to account when they should be forcing far greater scrutiny of how public money and student fees are spent.”