Mark Zuckerberg flies from Monterey to Bay Area base week before Meta layoffs

Mark Zuckerberg flew from Monterey Regional Airport to Moffett Federal Airfield aboard his Gulfstream G700 on May 10, covering the 70-mile hop in just 16 minutes at low altitude. The brief jaunt, departing at 3:24 p.m. Pacific time, underscores the convenience of private aviation for Silicon Valley's elite, even for distances a car could manage in traffic.

The timing aligns with mounting pressures at Meta, where Zuckerberg serves as CEO. Per a Reuters report on April 17, the company plans its initial wave of layoffs—about 10% of its workforce, or roughly 8,000 jobs—beginning May 20, tied to heavy investments in artificial intelligence. Additional cuts could follow later in 2026, as Zuckerberg has not ruled out further reductions, according to statements from an April 30 town hall covered by Fox Business.

This local flight caps a busier itinerary for Zuckerberg, who shuttled from New York to Columbus, Ohio, then Palo Alto and Monterey over the prior week. With his primary residence in Palo Alto's Crescent Park and Meta's headquarters in nearby Menlo Park, such Bay Area maneuvers fit a pattern of blending business with personal escapes, even as the tech giant navigates fiscal tightening.