Caesars flies to Rochester the week Fertitta buyout nears close

Caesars flew from Imlay Airstrip in Nevada to Rochester International Airport on June 14, a 2-hour-13-minute hop in the company’s Gulfstream V, N898CE. The aircraft reached 45,025 feet and a top speed of 553 knots on the short leg.

The same week, Caesars Entertainment is in the final stretch of its $17.6 billion acquisition by Fertitta Entertainment, per a May 28 CNBC report. The deal, which includes $11.9 billion in assumed debt, gives Caesars shareholders $31 per share and a 49 percent premium. A “go-shop” period runs through July 11, and regulatory scrutiny looms — Fertitta already owns Wynn Resorts stock and the Golden Nugget chain. Rochester is home to Mayo Clinic, a major employer whose executives and high-net-worth patients are the sort of clientele Caesars courts with its Gulfstream V.

The flight follows a pattern of midweek trips outside Caesars’ usual Las Vegas-to-coastal routes. Recent flights show N898CE shuttling between Van Nuys, Washington Dulles, and Teterboro — standard high-roller transport. A stop in Minnesota suggests either a private meeting or a pickup tied to the ongoing sale process.