Disney's G650ER lands in Burbank as Iger-Walden rift and layoffs roil HQ

Disney flew from Los Angeles International Airport to Hollywood Burbank Airport on June 17, a 20-minute hop aboard Gulfstream G650ER N650WW that touched down at 1:43 a.m. local time. The aircraft, operated by the Walt Disney Company, typically shuttles senior executives between Burbank, Orlando, and the international parks.

The same week the flight landed, Disney Entertainment Operations LLC filed a WARN notice for 53 layoffs effective June 20 at its Burbank headquarters, per U.S. Department of Labor data tracked by WARNTracker. The trip also coincides with a reported rift between CEO Bob Iger and entertainment chairman Dana Walden over creative strategy, described by USA Business Times as “noticeably frosty” after a late April all-hands meeting. Meanwhile, Disney Imagineering announced a partnership with Adobe’s Firefly AI models for park designs, per Variety.

The brief flight follows a pattern of recent Disney aircraft movements: N650WW spent much of June 16 over the Pacific and near Japan, consistent with executive travel to Asian parks. The return to Burbank lands the company’s leadership back at headquarters during a period of internal restructuring and public cost-cutting.