Jim Ratcliffe's Gulfstream G650 lands in Keflavik after an 11-minute hop from a remote Icelandic airstrip

Jim Ratcliffe's Gulfstream G650, tail number M-OVIE, was tracked making an 11-minute flight from Stórikroppur Airport in northeastern Iceland to Keflavik International Airport on July 15, covering just 102 nautical miles at a modest 261 knots. The aircraft climbed to only 10,225 feet — a short, efficient hop that connected one of Iceland's most isolated airstrips to its main international gateway.

If Sir Jim Ratcliffe were aboard, the timing of this transfer would place him back in Iceland's capital region after what appears to be a visit to a remote part of the country. Stórikroppur sits near Lake Mývatn, an area known for geothermal energy research and tourism, but also for its proximity to Arctic research facilities and potential industrial sites. The chairman of INEOS, one of the world's largest petrochemical groups, has shown a clear pattern of Icelandic travel in recent weeks: tracking data shows his aircraft arrived in Iceland on June 22, spent several days making short hops between Keflavik and other Icelandic points, and then departed for the UK on June 23. The July 12 flight from an unknown location to the Isle of Man, followed by this July 15 Icelandic repositioning, suggests he may have returned to Iceland in recent days.

The brevity of this particular leg is notable: it is a classic “positioning” flight, likely ferrying passengers or crew from a remote lodge or field operation to a commercial airport. If Sir Jim Ratcliffe was on board, he may have been reviewing INEOS's interests in sub-Arctic energy infrastructure or simply enjoying Iceland's summer landscape — but the aircraft's movement alone cannot confirm his presence. What can be confirmed is that M-OVIE has now been in or near Iceland for at least three separate periods since June, implying a sustained interest in the region that goes beyond a single visit.

More broadly, this fits Sir Jim Ratcliffe's known habits: his stable of Gulfstreams regularly connects Isla de Man, Nice, Geneva, and London, with occasional forays to Nordic destinations. His net worth of $17 billion affords him the flexibility to move between business empires — INEOS Chemicals, the INEOS Britannia America's Cup team, OGC Nice, and Manchester United — but also personal retreats. A short hop from a remote Icelandic strip to Keflavik is exactly the kind of movement that says less about a specific event and more about a lifestyle: the freedom to land near a lake, conduct whatever business or relaxation is needed, and then slide back to an international airport without fanfare. For now, M-OVIE sits in Keflavik — whether Sir Jim Ratcliffe is aboard to catch a connecting flight or simply to take in the view is a question the tracking data leaves open.