
News
Share
Published 23:02 22 Aug 2022 BST
Explore more on these topics:
Elon Musk at the 2022 Met Gala (Image: Getty)[/caption]
The flight took place on May 6, but it was only in the last few days that flight trackers brought the journey to light. Satellite maps now circulating social media show the plane's flight path, and have sparked outrage amongst angry critics concerned about the huge carbon footprint musk is leaving behind.
[caption id="attachment_355215" align="alignnone" width="700"]
Musk's private jet flew 35 miles (Image: Twitter / @the_transit_guy)[/caption]
Some pointed out how Musk, head of electric car company Tesla, could've taken a local commuter train from San Francisco to San Jose, which only would've required travelling five stops.
The car journey between two airports would've also only taken 40 minutes, depending on traffic.
Private jets have been found to emit two tonnes of CO2 in just one hour and are five to 14 times more polluting than commercial planes, according to Transport & Environment.
"I literally have no words," one Musk critic wrote on Twitter.
Meanwhile, some have offered an alternate explanation for the super short trip.
https://twitter.com/andrewrsorkin/status/1561487805028737024?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1561487805028737024%7Ctwgr%5E320eb49836fd38dd0b3484ff4889cde78210d8c1%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fnypost.com%2F2022%2F08%2F22%2Felon-musk-planes-9-minute-35-mile-flight-sparks-outrage%2F
New York Times editor and CNBC anchor Andrew Ross Sorkin wrote: "The plane was likely just being ‘repositioned’ — as in the plane was sitting at one airport and then was moved to a different airport to pick up its passengers.
"This happens all the time. Planes often sit at a less busy airport and then fly to another one close by."
Of course, this isn't the first time Musk has been caught out making quick trips above the clouds. Last year, 19-year-old student Jack Sweeney created the Twitter account @ElonsJet, dedicated solely to keeping an eye on Musk's journeys.
The tech mogul didn't react well to this at all, and offered the student $5,000 to take the account down. Feeling bold, Sweeney asked Musk to ramp it up to $50,000, but Musk said it didn't "feel right" to pay him and stopped replying.
[caption id="attachment_355230" align="alignnone" width="2048"]
Kylie Jenner attends the 2022 Billboard Music Awards at MGM Grand Garden Arena in May, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada (Image: Getty)[/caption]
The news comes as numerous super-rich celebs face backlash for taking short flights. Kylie Jenner came under fire for a social media post in which she bragged about having to choose which private jet to take in July.
Tracking data online has since appeared to indicate that the billionaire, 24, used her jet to make a journey that lasted just three minutes.
https://twitter.com/emily_murnane/status/1548482152144125959?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1548482152144125959%7Ctwgr%5Eb8bffe3e2c6963e7677c895ced60a8636c4b2f71%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mic.com%2Fculture%2Fkylie-jenner-private-jet-three-minutes-wtf
A report released by Yard in July showed that Taylor Swift had taken 170 flights on her private plane since January. Racking up more than 22,923 minutes in the air, which equates to nearly 16 days, Swift's average flight time is around 80 minutes.
The singer later responded, through a mouthpiece that is, and told Rolling Stone that it's not just her fault.
"Taylor's jet is loaned out regularly to other individuals," a spokesperson said. "To attribute most or all of these trips to her is blatantly incorrect."
Other notable names on the list include Jay Z, country singer Blake Shelton, director Steven Spielberg, Kim Kardashian, Mark Wahlberg, Oprah and Travis Scott.
Related links:
Why Google wants to release 32,000,000 infected mosquitoes into the wild
It’s not quite as crazy as it sounds Google wants to release 32,000,000 disease-infected mosquitoes into the wild. Yes, you heard that right, and while this may sound like the evil masterplan of a crazed villain, the project is actually one of goodwill for the betterment of humanity. For thousands of years, humans have been […]
News
11h
All the reviews for Clarkson’s Farm Series 5 as audience favourite returns
It seems people are divided The new season of Clarkson’s Farm focuses on Jeremy Clarkson’s efforts to modernise Diddly Squat Farm, as he deals with major farming challenges, a changing political landscape, and the growing demands of running his new pub. Season 5 of the documentary reality series begins after a health scare forces Jeremy […]
News
11h
Amazon confirms exact dates for four-day Prime Day event
News