If Kylie Jenner were a kite, soaring effortlessly through the skies every day, it might seem natural. But she’s not; she’s a mega-rich makeup mogul with a $73 million jet that refuses to stay grounded. Hardly surprising, yet frustrating for many, as the Kylie Cosmetics founder has come under fire for taking 12 flights just 20 days into the new year. Her jet-setting lifestyle could easily translate to a road-trip lifestyle, but instead, the mother of two has taken trip after trip, some as short as 15 minutes, seemingly without a care about her carbon footprint.
Criticism reached a fever pitch when the reality star continued her flights while simultaneously posting about relief efforts for the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles. The timing couldn’t have been worse, her statement came mere hours after her private jet had completed its 11th flight since January 1. Jenner’s Bombardier Global Express 7500, once a Barbie-pink and white “Kylie Air,” now flaunts a shimmering silver chrome exterior (a $250,000 upgrade). The jet flew from Palm Springs to London on January 16 to support her boyfriend, actor Timothée Chalamet, at the premiere of his film ‘A Complete Unknown.’ The loved-up pair then took a 47-minute flight across the English Channel to Paris before Jenner returned to America later that day.
While this schedule sounds hectic, what raises eyebrows is the sheer wastefulness of some of her flights. On January 9, Kylie’s jet took a 15-minute flight from Los Angeles to Camarillo, a journey that could have been a 48-minute drive in one of her luxury cars. Her enviable $6 million car collection includes a $300,000 custom Rolls-Royce SUV and several others in white, red, beige, and black. Yet, she opted for the more environmentally damaging option again on January 12, flying 36 minutes from Camarillo to Palm Springs. This flight cost an estimated $1,555 in kerosene and emitted three tons of CO2, according to CelebrityJets. By comparison, driving the same route would have taken 43 minutes in comfort, a small inconvenience for a millionaire.
According to Daily Mail, in 2024, Jenner took 195 flights, as tracked by Celebrity Private Jet Tracker. This year seems to be no different, with one Instagram follower commenting, “Taking a private jet to Paris, which contributes to the warmer weather and wildfires in LA, and then putting a bandaid on middle-class LA fire victims with your lotion, is horrific.” Reddit users were equally harsh, with one remarking, “Kylie is so wrong posting about the LA wildfires when she’s contributing to them with her excessive private jet use,” while another added, “They don’t care about global warming.”
Despite the backlash, Jenner shows no signs of giving up her jet, which features Hermès blankets on every seat, a private bedroom with a full-size bed, and a decadent in-flight menu. Offerings include Asian chicken salad, Caprese salad, gluten-free chicken Alfredo, and strawberry margaritas made with Kendall Jenner’s 818 Tequila. Perhaps the allure of such decadence is too strong to resist.
Still, as Jenner gazes out of her jet’s window on her descent home, one wonders if she ever considers leaving Kylie Air grounded for a day. After all, her luxury cars seem more than adequate for short trips, and sparing the planet a little could go a long way toward silencing her critics.
