Democracy Dies in Darkness

Why the idea of Taylor Swift’s Super Bowl jet trip is sparking controversy

Flying on a private jet is one of the most carbon-polluting ways to travel. Legal scholars and lawmakers are calling for taxes to address the environmental cost.

January 31, 2024 at 6:30 a.m. EST
Taylor Swift performs March 17 in Glendale, Ariz. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
5 min
correction

A previous version of this story said a Dassault Falcon 900 typically sells for $29 million. It typically sells for $25 million, according to Guardian Jet. The story also said the operating cost for the Dassault Falcon 900 was about $13.9 million per year. Guardian Jet has since updated its estimate to $4.9 million per year. The story has been corrected.

Few celebrities have had their jet travel come under as intense scrutiny in recent months as Taylor Swift, who has crisscrossed the country in a private plane to watch her boyfriend Travis Kelce play for the Kansas City Chiefs. Fox News blasted her on Sunday as she arrived in Baltimore to attend the AFC championship game, tweeting that her jet was “belching tons of CO2 emissions.”