Executives at Tyson Foods are facing backlash for excessive private jet use during company-wide layoffs. The company spent nearly $3 million in fiscal 2024 for chair John H. Tyson's personal use of the corporate aircraft, over $1 million more than the previous year, according to Axios.
As one of Arkansas' largest employers, Tyson's executive perks — at the highest they've been in five years — highlight how top compensation continues to climb, even as consumers, shareholders, and workers push to rein in costs and higher wages.
Private jet spending has surged throughout corporate America, with S&P 500 companies increasing their flight spending by 50% since pre-pandemic levels, according to The Wall Street Journal. In 2022, they spent $65 million on flights. In Arkansas, the three largest public companies spent $4.49 million in 2024 on private flights for executives.
These flights are often used like taxis for short trips — just for convenience — stacking on top of massive salaries, stock awards, bonuses, and other compensation. While companies may justify this as a way to attract top talent, it also creates serious environmental concerns, tax challenges, and reputational risks.
Private jets are among the most polluting forms of transportation, emitting up to 14 times more carbon dioxide per passenger than commercial flights and up to 50 times more than trains. Some private jets emit two tons of carbon dioxide per hour, compared to the average annual output per person of 8.2 tons in advanced economies.
When executives and celebrities take hundreds of private flights each year, they disproportionately contribute to the climate crisis, often without scrutiny. This harmful carbon pollution worsens global warming and air quality, especially around airports and in vulnerable communities already facing environmental injustice.
For everyday consumers, this luxury underscores a deepening divide. While people are urged to shrink their carbon footprints by flying less or switching to electric vehicles, wealthy elites continue high-polluting habits with few consequences. This undermines climate efforts and intensifies frustration, as rising food costs and extreme weather hit working families hardest.
Potential solutions include investing in sustainable aviation fuels made from hydrogen, biomass, or captured carbon, and expanding cleaner long-distance travel options like high-speed rail.
"This is why we need a carbon tax," one Reddit user wrote.
"Ensure that anyone wasting energy is forced to pay for the cleanup of the damage their waste does," another added.
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"Ultimately, it's about balance," Lawrence Cunningham, director of the John L. Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance, told Axios.
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