There are several mythical "Super Bowl Effects," such as the specious claim that en masse bathroom breaks during commercials wreak havoc on local sewage systems.
However, The News & Observer highlighted a different Super Bowl Effect more rooted in reality: an increasing number of private jets used to get to the exclusive sporting event.
What's happening?
In November 2024, a study in the journal Nature examined the impacts of private jets and, in doing so, identified a sharp increase in their use over the previous five years.
At the time, lead author Stefan Gössling told The Guardian that their research showed the ultra-wealthy used private jets "as taxis, really," citing jaunts as short as 50 kilometers (around 31 miles) as an example of unnecessary air travel.
As The News & Observer reported ahead of Super Bowl LX on Feb. 8, 2026, private jet travel has historically spiked, worsening in recent years as private jet traffic increased overall.
An event as large as the Super Bowl "has a warping effect on the local economy," the outlet observed, with private aviation among the most impacted.
On Dec. 28, a Forbes contributor looked at the spike in fees charged by fixed-base operators, or FBOs, businesses that coordinate private air travel at airports.
Daniel Harris of charter broker Ironbird Partners cautioned private jet travelers about a volatile fee structure — inadvertently reflecting an increase in demand for FBO services.
"Clients may book under one FBO and then be moved at the last minute based on availability or pricing," Harris explained. "It's not a huge issue operationally, but it is something flyers should be aware of — especially around major events where capacity tightens quickly."
Why is a spike in private jet use concerning?
While the 2024 Nature study was fairly recent, it contained an alarming undercurrent.
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Definitely 👍 After noting that commercial aviation was a major contributor to rising temperatures, the authors repeatedly observed that "the global role of private aviation is not well quantified" and that its scope and impact remained "insufficiently understood."
That research was barely a year old, and its findings were chilling: Between 2019 and 2023, 28.4% more private jets were in the air, distances increased by 53.5%, and emissions rose by 46%.
At the same time, researchers found that 47.4% of all private jet flights were shorter than 500 kilometers (310 miles), evidencing an increase in frivolous private jet usage.
Although researchers couldn't firmly determine whether the same passengers were involved, they observed that "172 of the 595 aircraft tail numbers appearing at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos also served the Cannes Film Festival," citing similar patterns for the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference.
In short, private jets are blanketing the planet in emissions, and researchers indicated that just 0.003% of the world's population was responsible for the excess pollution generated.
What's being done about it?
It's common for researchers to present their findings and recommend further research.
In the 2024 Nature study, however, the authors instead called for intervention.
"Regulation is needed to address the sector's growing climate impact," they warned.
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