Nike flies to Los Angeles the week of a tariff refund lawsuit

Nike flew from its home base at Hillsboro Airport (HIO), Oregon, to Los Angeles International Airport (KLAX) on May 20, a 1-hour and 43-minute hop in its Gulfstream G650 (N6453). The flight arrived just before midnight Pacific time.

The same week, the sportswear giant was hit with a class-action lawsuit in Portland federal court, per an Insurance Journal report published May 11. Consumers allege Nike raised prices on footwear and apparel by $5 to $10 to offset tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, then failed to commit to passing along refunds after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down those tariffs in February. Nike has declined to comment on whether it will return the money, according to KTVU Fox 2.

Nike's corporate flight operations cluster around Hillsboro, the small executive airport shared with Phil Knight's personal fleet. The May 16 leg from Los Angeles County back to Oregon suggests routine west coast shuttling, but this week's landing at LAX coincides with the company's legal and reputational headwinds over tariff pricing — a story told as much in the air as in the courtroom.