The past year has been a busy one for Musk. The boss of six companies, Musk has been shuttling between Texas and California since acquiring Twitter (now X) in late October, sometimes sleeping on the floor of a Tesla factory and sometimes in Twitter offices. The miles flown on his private jet are enough to prove it.
Data collected by aircraft tracking website JetSpy shows that as of December 14, Musk's private jet had flown 441 times this year.
According to information from JetSpy, Musk currently owns two Gulfstream private jets, including a Gulfstream G650ER with registration number N628TS, and a Gulfstream G550 aircraft with registration number N272BG.
Another Gulfstream G550 aircraft with registration number N502SX was registered with SpaceX in September 2021. According to JetSpy data, as of December 14, this aircraft has flown 246 times with approximately 630 hours of flight time, and may be used to carry company personnel.
The G550 aircraft was not included in Musk's total flights this year because it was not registered to Musk.
In addition to two private jets, Musk has reportedly ordered the recently launched Gulfstream G700 and at one point owned a Dassault Falcon 900B.
The G650ER, which Musk purchased in 2016, is the longest-range aircraft in the series, allowing the billionaire to fly approximately 8,600 miles non-stop. These larger private jets usually come with one bedroom.
In 2023, these aircraft flew more than 1,161 hours, equivalent to more than 48 days spent in the air, according to JetSpy.
JetSpy aggregates its flight information using ADS-B data transmitted from multiple providers and networks. ADS-B is a public surveillance technology that drew attention last year when college student Jack Sweeney used it to track Musk's private jet flight data.
Musk has since tried to use a program set up by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to mask his flight information, but to no avail. Aviation enthusiasts continue to use the ADS-B network to track Musk's travels.
Data shows that in 2023, the average flight time of Musk's two planes is just over two and a half hours, similar to the time it takes for a plane to fly from Hawthorne, California (where SpaceX is headquartered) to Brownsville, Texas (where SpaceX's launch site and Tesla's new headquarters are located).
For Musk's Gulfstream G650ER, the plane's most popular destinations are Austin, Texas, and Oakland and San Jose airports in California. The private jet has flown 166 times this year.
Meanwhile, Musk's Gulfstream G550 aircraft has flown 275 times this year. The aircraft frequently visits airports in Hawthorne, California, and Los Angeles, as well as South Padre Island International Airport in Brownsville, near the SpaceX launch site.
The longest flight of Musk's plane in 2023 was to Tokyo in August, which lasted nearly 13 hours. Musk was seen in Tokyo with his on-again, off-again girlfriend Grimes and their three-year-old son X.
While these planes are convenient for Musk's busy lifestyle, they come at a high price. According to JetSpy, the billionaire's planes emitted approximately 5,159 metric tons of carbon dioxide over the past year. By comparison, the U.S. emits about 16 tons of carbon dioxide per person per year, according to the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research.
In addition, JetSpy data shows that these aircraft consumed 538,957 gallons of fuel in 2023, which means that the fuel cost of these aircraft this year is more than $3.2 million.
Overall, Musk's planes appear to be flying less this year than last year. In 2022, his aircraft took to the air 739 times, with a total flight time of 1,865 hours.