While fans and analysts alike currently discuss Super Bowl LIX’s record-breaking viewership and the result of the game itself, a much more telling story has been unearthed by Huddle Up’s Joe Pompliano.
As the NFL was busy celebrating its biggest event of the year, the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport was preparing to post its own record-breaking numbers.
Reporting that over 1,200 private jets flew in for the Super Bowl festivities, Pompliano claimed that the majority of those associated with the planes spent over $20,000 on miscellaneous charges such as “landing, parking, and handling fees.”
Name-dropping celebrities left and right, such as Jerry Jones, Shaquille O’Neal, Taylor Swift, and the Prince of Monaco, Pompliano is now reporting that over 250 of those private jets departed within four hours of the Super Bowl ending.
Should Pompliano’s numbers prove to be correct, then that would give the airport’s handling of private flights an approximate value of $24 million dollars.
Considering that number doesn’t account for the airfares that were paid by standard travelers, the total earnings for New Orleans are surely staggering.
According to MSY, 43,188 passengers were processed through their security checkpoint on February 10th, the day after the Super Bowl.
On the other hand, after previously claiming to be concerned about climate change, Taylor Swift and the flight patterns of her private jet came under scrutiny, leading to one of the most comprehensive flight tracking platforms in recent history.
According to the Taylor Swift Jets (Tracking) account, a project spearheaded by aviation and space student, Jack Sweeney, who seeks to bring transparency to the flying habits of various celebrities, Swift landed in New Orleans after a 1-hour 14-minute flight that produced an approximate five tons worth of C02 emissions.
Flew from Tampa, Florida, US to New Orleans, Louisiana, US 24 hours ago.
Apx. flt. time 1 Hour : 14 Mins. pic.twitter.com/CEKlBIucbS— Taylor Swift Jets (Tracking) (@SwiftJetNextDay) February 9, 2025
For context, the average person emits about four tons of carbon dioxide per year.
Fans react to Pompliano’s report
With the majority of the aforementioned 250 flights having destinations in New York, Miami, and Los Angeles, some of the most affluent cities in America, fans were less than pleased to hear of Pompliano’s report following the Eagles victory at Super Bowl LIX.
While the majority of comments were directed at the environmental implications of the report, some felt the need to highlight the amount of planning that was required in order for an airport in New Orleans to pull this off.
New Orleans airport sure pulled a W pic.twitter.com/1we5mwbVus
— NFL World, What's Up?? (@Whats_Up_NFL) February 15, 2025
Ultimately, however, the prevailing sentiment was one of distaste and frustration.
So much carbon emission to watch Super Bowl pic.twitter.com/a17hSGLU09
— NFL World, What's Up?? (@Whats_Up_NFL) February 15, 2025
Suffice to say, as Americans attempt to recover from having endured some of the worst inflation rates in recent history, there is little to no sympathy for the traveling expenses of the first class.
With many believing that the average fan has been officially priced out of the NFL’s most prestigious event, reports such as Pompliano’s will continue to fan the flames of public discourse surrounding the reality of the haves and the have-nots.
