Over 880 flights have descended on Black Rock Desert’s temporary airport as Burning Man takes flight. Each year, the event constructs an airport called 88NV in the dried-up lakebed of the Nevada desert to accommodate the annual arts and music festival. The airport, which first welcomed aircraft in 1991, has become a popular choice among wealthy attendees, including billionaire CEOs and tech executives. Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, and investor Ray Dalio have all been spotted at the festival in recent years.
While many people travel to Burning Man by car, those who can afford it opt to fly into the special dust airport. The airport, known for its ruggedness, currently lacks permanent structures and an air traffic control tower. It features two short desert runways, the longest of which is just under 6,000 feet. In previous years, wealthy attendees have flown directly to Black Rock City from cities like San Francisco and New York, with the flights costing a significant amount of money.
Beyond private flights, the Black Rock City Airport also serves as the destination for the Burner Express, a bus and aircraft service that transports attendees from Southern California, the Bay Area, and the Reno airport. The nearby Reno-Tahoe International Airport also experiences a rise in flights during the festival, with hundreds more flights landing than on a typical day.
According to data from the flight-tracking site FlightAware, over 880 flights have already landed at the Black Rock City Airport in the past week, and more are expected as the festival continues. However, this number is significantly lower than the over 2,000 flights recorded last year. For Burning Man 2023, the event organizers are limiting the number of aircraft permitted to land at 88NV. The majority of flights will be those offered through Burner Express Air. While private pilots can still fly their own aircraft, they must register and qualify in advance due to the challenging flight conditions caused by winds and dust.
The flights to Burning Man aren’t cheap, with one-way tickets from Oakland costing $675 and last-minute flights priced at over $1,300. Burner Express Air provides options for other air carriers to fly into Black Rock City, but they must email and register with the company beforehand. Unregistered passengers will be turned away.
Despite the event’s commitment to leave no trace and its efforts to become carbon negative, Burning Man has faced criticism from climate activists for the use of private aircraft to travel to the festival. However, it’s worth noting that the aircraft commonly visiting the Black Rock City Airport, such as the Pilatus PC-12 and Cessna 172, are known for having lower emissions compared to most private planes.
In conclusion, Burning Man continues to attract a significant number of flights each year, with over 880 flights landing at the temporary airport in the Black Rock Desert. While the event offers transportation services like the Burner Express, many wealthy attendees choose to fly in directly. The airport’s ruggedness and challenging flight conditions make it a unique destination for aviation enthusiasts. As the festival focuses on sustainability, there is a growing emphasis on reducing the environmental impact of private aircraft travel.
