Jared Isaacman's Bombardier Global Express XRS N82EM flies from Tuscaloosa to Meridian in 15 minutes

Jared Isaacman's Bombardier Global Express XRS, tail number N82EM, flew from Tuscaloosa National Airport (KTCL) in Alabama to Key Field / Meridian Regional Airport (KMEI) in Mississippi on Saturday, October 24, 2026. The flight departed at 16:54 UTC and landed at 17:09 UTC, spending 15 minutes in the air.

The great-circle distance between the two airports is 100 nautical miles, or 116 miles. The aircraft averaged 403 knots ground speed and reached a top speed of 409 knots. Its highest altitude during the short hop was 11,600 feet. The flight burned an estimated 107 US gallons of fuel, producing about 1,029 kilograms of CO2, roughly equal to driving a car 2,548 miles. N82EM is an Ultra Long Range jet with a range of 6,160 nautical miles, a ceiling of 51,000 feet, and seating for up to 16 passengers.

The aircraft's top speed is Mach 0.89, or 488 knots. It burns an estimated 430 US gallons of fuel per hour. Tuscaloosa's longest runway is 6,498 feet at an elevation of 170 feet. Meridian's longest runway is 10,003 feet at 297 feet. The distance from the home base in Allentown to Meridian is 812 nautical miles.

This was the first tracked landing at Meridian in the nine-flight window from October 18 to October 24. The aircraft's home base is Lehigh Valley International Airport in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Usual destinations on file include Washington Dulles International Airport and the Space Florida Launch and Landing Facility in Titusville. The four most recent flights before this one were a round trip between Allentown and New Century on October 18, followed by a New Century to Las Vegas leg, a Las Vegas to New Century leg, and a New Century to Washington leg on October 20, a Washington to Allentown leg on October 21, an Allentown to Washington leg on October 23, a Washington to Titusville leg on October 23, a Titusville to Naples leg on October 24, and a Naples to Tuscaloosa leg on October 24.

In the 30 days before this flight, the aircraft visited seven airports in one country and flew about 5,282 nautical miles. The longest leg in that period was New Century to Las Vegas on October 18, covering 979 nautical miles. Over those 30 days, the plane logged nine flights, 13.6 hours in the air, and an estimated 56,228 kilograms of CO2.

Jared Isaacman founded Shift4, a payments company based in Allentown, after dropping out of high school. He also started Draken International, which trains fighter pilots using former military jets. He paid for and commanded two private SpaceX missions, Inspiration4 in 2021 and Polaris Dawn in 2024, where he made the first commercial spacewalk. He was confirmed as NASA administrator in late 2025. Allentown is the base for Shift4 and the owner company JDI Holdings LLC, which matches Isaacman's initials and hometown.

This short hop brought the aircraft to Meridian after a trip that included stops at Naples and Tuscaloosa. The flight used only 2 percent of the aircraft's range.