Mapped: 239 private jets left Augusta's normally sleepy airport on the final day of the Masters

Rory McIlroy became the fourth golfer to win back-to-back Masters Tournaments. Hector Vivas/Getty Images 2026-04-13T15:50:53.520Z Share Copy link Email Facebook WhatsApp X LinkedIn Bluesky Threads lighning bolt icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt.

Impact Link Save Saved Read in app This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now. Have an account? Log in. Hundreds of private jets took off from Augusta Regional Airport, marking the end of the 2026 Masters. Most were operated by charter or fractional ownership firms, which use the tournament as a marketing opportunity. Others belonged to famous CEOs and corporations, including Chipotle and Goldman Sachs. AI-generated summary Summaries are generated by an AI model trained on Business Insider's articles. AI may make mistakes or provide inaccurate/incomplete information. We're unable to load that answer right now. Please try again. What is fractional jet ownership? What perks attract clients to charter flights? What are popular private jet models? How do private jets impact local airports? How do companies use events for marketing? Not long after Rory McIlroy became the fourth golfer to ever win back-to-back Masters on Sunday, hundreds of private jets began departing Augusta, Georgia's small regional airport. Loading audio narration...

The Masters Tournament marks one of the busiest weekends for private jet operators, who shuttle their ultrawealthy clients to the tournament from FBOs in Miami and Teterboro, New Jersey.Using data from JetSpy, a business aviation data platform, Business Insider created a map showing the exodus. The JetSpy data showed 239 flights departing from Augusta Regional Airport — 123 left even before McIlroy reclaimed the green jacket — and hundreds more leaving on Monday. The airport, which staffs up ahead of the event, charges up to $4,000 per plane in landing fees.They included airplanes owned by Nike, Bank of America, American Express, Goldman Sachs, Chipotle, and IBM, according to JetSpy, as well as private jets belonging to billionaires Rob Walton, the former Walmart chairman, and David Duffield, the cofounder of Workday. The casino industry was also represented by planes owned by MGM and the Seminole Tribe of Florida, which has a Gulfstream jet bearing the Hard Rock logo.Most of the jets, however, were operated by charter and fractional ownership companies such as NetJets, VistaJet, and Wheels Up. There were nearly 20% more Flexjet flights to and from the Masters this year, a company spokesperson told Business Insider. Wheels Up anticipated about 150 bookings, and NetJets anticipated as many as 775 flights.For those companies, events like the Masters double as opportunities to connect with — and market to — their wealthy clientele. They offer private dinners, chances to meet golf professionals, and dinners throughout the weekend. Perks like tickets to the Masters "take the edge off when something goes wrong," Doug Gollan, the founder of Private Jet Card Comparison, previously told Business Insider.Of the 239 flights tracked by JetSpy, the most popular aircraft was the Cessna Citation Latitude, accounting for 35 of them. The midsize jet costs about $20 million to buy new or $4,000 an hour to charter. It was followed by the Embraer Phenom 300, which accounted for 24 flights. It's the best-selling light jet and the most flown aircraft in the US by flight hours.There were also 10 Gulfstream G650s, an ultra-long-range jet that costs about $65 million to buy new. Planespotters may have also glimpsed the Gulfstream G700, with two of them departing Augusta on Sunday, per JetSpy. It's one of the newest private jets on the market and costs some $80 million to purchase.While the Masters is a top event on the billionaire social calendar, there perhaps weren't as many famous faces as February's Super Bowl. Nearly 100 private jets departed the Bay Area within two hours of the game's conclusion, including ones belonging to Kim Kardashian and Jay-Z.