Merck's G650ER lands in South Carolina the week of a key FDA approval

Merck's Gulfstream G650ER, tail number N822MK, was tracked departing Reed Airport (2PA3) in Pennsylvania on June 23, 2026, and landing at a private airstrip near Spartanburg, South Carolina, after a 1-hour 33-minute flight at 43,000 feet.

If Merck CEO Robert Davis or other executives were aboard, the trip comes just days after the FDA approved Keytruda and Welireg for adjuvant treatment of certain clear cell renal cell carcinoma patients, per a Merck press release on June 12. The approval, based on the Phase 3 LITESPARK-022 trial, showed a 28% reduction in recurrence risk. South Carolina is home to several Merck research and manufacturing facilities, including a major site in Wilson, North Carolina, roughly 90 miles north.

The flight follows a pattern of shorter hops from Merck's Morristown, New Jersey base to regional destinations, including recent trips to Tennessee and Florida. The company's two-aircraft fleet supports a busy schedule of regulatory meetings and internal reviews as Merck prepares for Keytruda's 2028 patent loss, per Reuters.