Elon Musk spent more than 48 days in the air this year

  • Elon Musk’s private jet has logged over 1,161 hours in the air this year
  • That’s equivalent to 48 days
  • The majority of those 441 flights were spent shuttling between Texas and California

Published on Dec 19, 2023 at 6:39 PM (UTC+4)
by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones

Last updated on Dec 20, 2023 at 6:01 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by Adam Gray

Elon Musk and his private jet have logged over 1,161 hours in the air in 2023 – equivalent to 48 days according to JetSpy.

JetSpy aggregates its flight information using ADS-B data.

ADS-B is a public surveillance technology that broadcasts information – including GPS location and altitude – from one plane to another and with stations on the ground.

READ MORE! Elon Musk says you’ll be able to use Cybertruck as a boat

ADS-B caused controversy last year when a college student used it to broadcast Musk’s flight data on social media.

After buying X in 2022, Elon Musk spent the majority of those 441 flights shuttling between Texas and California.

He’s also at the helm of five other co-founded companies, including SpaceX and Tesla.

It’s reported he used to sleep on the Tesla factory floor so workers could see him during shift changes and now sleeps at X headquarters.

And the billionaire obviously isn’t flying commercial.

In fact, Elon Musk owns a fleet of private jets that are worth over $100 million.

His Gulfstream G650ER, registered N628TS, is capable of nonstop flights spanning 8,600 miles – roughly the distance from Somalia to the US.

It’s fitted with a bedroom.

The data was compiled by jet-tracking site, JetSpy showing his activity this year up to 14 December.

Musk also has a second G550 Gulfstream private jet, registered N272BG, according to JetSpy.

A second G550 with the tail number N502SX was registered to Falcon Landing LCC – a company associated with SpaceX and Tesla – in 2021.

The data for the second G550 was not included in the billionaire’s total flying time, as it’s not solely operated by Musk.

Operated by SpaceX and thought to be used to transport company personnel, this jet flew for an additional 630 hours across 246 flights as of the same date.

As the G800 hits the private jet market, Musk has allegedly ordered the recently launched Gulfstream G700 to add to his fleet.

He also once owned a Dassault Falcon 900B.

Since his ADS-B data breach last year, Elon Musk has attempted to cloak his flight information.

He uses a program set up by the Federal Aviation Administration, however, his attempts have proven unsuccessful.

There is no way of knowing the jets’ passengers bar Musk being spotted boarding and his habitual patterns.

In 2023, the average flight for Musk’s two aircraft was just over two and a half hours.

That’s the time it takes to get from Hawthorne, California (where SpaceX is based) to Brownsville, Texas (where SpaceX is headquartered).

Musk’s G650 has taken 166 flights this year.

Musk’s Gulfstream G550 has taken 275 flights.

The longest flight in 2023 was a 13-hour flight to Tokyo in August.

The aircraft’s shortest flight was five minutes with the jet remaining at Long Beach Airport as the private jet pilot repositioned the plane.

However, as many other famous faces do, Musk is said to largely use private airports.

Musk’s jets also took some 11 to 15-minute flights between airports in Hawthorne and Los Angeles – a distance of less than 10 miles.

The billionaire’s jets have emitted an estimated 5,159 metric tons of CO2 over the past year.

To put that into context, the average person in the US is responsible for producing 16 tons, according to the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research.

The jets consumed 538,957 gallons of fuel, costing more than $3.2 million.

Despite Elon Musk’s recent losses, that doesn’t make a dent in the billionaire’s wealth.

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London-based Amelia cut her journalistic teeth covering all things lifestyle, wellness and luxury in the UK capital. Fast-forward a decade and the experienced content creator and editor has put pen to paper for glossy magazines, busy newsrooms and coveted brands. When her OOO is on you can find her spending quality time with her young family, in the gym or exploring the city she loves.