Musk Slams Rumors That He Is Building a Private Airport: 'Would Be Silly' Sources claimed that the billionaire had begun conceptual plans for an airport near Tesla's HQ.
By Emily Rella
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Tesla CEO Elon Musk is denying rumors that he plans to build a private airport outside of Austin, Texas in close proximity to Tesla HQ after reports circulated that the billionaire's plan was in the early development stages.
Musk took to Twitter to deny the reports in response to an article posted about the rumors.
"Not true. Tesla is 5 mins from Austin International airport," Musk wrote. "Would be silly to build another private airport, however the existing commercial airport needs another runway, as Austin is growing fast!"
Original story below, published on August 4, 2022.
Elon Musk and his respective companies have a widespread presence in Texas, particularly in the surrounding Austin area. And according to new reports, Musk may be looking to make another major business venture in the state that would benefit all of his brands.
Citing multiple sources, Austin-based publication Austonia reported that conceptual plans have been made for Musk to begin developing his own airport just outside of the city.
Most notably, the airport could be a major hub for Musk and other company executives and employees to quickly travel from Tesla's newest Gigafactory (now Tesla's main HQ), which opened in Austin earlier this year.
Musk's SpaceX and The Boring Company also have offices and factories in Central Texas, which would make having a new, private airport a huge source of convenience for him and his private jet.
Austonia confirms that the "timetable and exact location" of the alleged airport "are unknown" but indicate that conceptually the airport would be located near Bastrop, Texas.
Musk's jet and its whereabouts have made headlines after he feuded with 19-year-old Jack Sweeney about whether or not the teenager had the right to continue tracking his jet's whereabouts and then sharing the information via Twitter.
The FAA ruled in Sweeney's favor, even after Musk offered to pay him $5,000 to stop the tracking.
It's noted that Musk's trips in and out of Texas have become crucial in 2022 as Tesla works on the long-delayed production of the Model Y.
Austin's main airport, Austin-Bergstrom Airport, began a major expansion plan that was approved in 2019, with an additional $46 million recently added to the development plans, including three new gates in the main terminal.
Tesla's Gigafactory sits just around 5 miles away from ATX.
